JAKE Cooper scored the winning goal nine minutes from time against Charlton at The Valley to move Millwall to within two points of Cardiff in sixth before the rest of the weekend’s Championship fixtures.
Cooper finished the loose ball to the net after Dillon Phillips had saved substitute Connor Mahoney’s shot.
It was the Lions’ first win in four games since the Championship’s restart.
Millwall stay in the race
Millwall were nine minutes away from probably contemplating planning for a fourth season in the Championship when they broke the deadlock in an unlikely way.
There can’t have been too many times in his career when Cooper has overlapped his winger into the box let alone rifled a right-footed effort high into the net.
Millwall had had lots of the ball at The Valley but toiled in the final third. Charlton twice went close to opening the scoring in the first half, and Jed Wallace will probably feel he should have beaten Phillips when he got through.
Millwall needed someone to do something creative on the ball to unlock Charlton, and it came from Mahoney. It shows the value of having a player who can shoot off either foot. Mahoney’s low strike was fierce, Phillips got down well but on a slippery surface he couldn’t hold on to the ball. Cooper, of all people, was there to sweep home the rebound for just his second goal of the season.
It meant that Millwall moved to within striking distance of Neil Harris’ Cardiff. What a story that could be.
Are the Lions prolonging the agony for their fans, or can they really get that last play-off spot? This was a first win in four and it’s made sweeter by the fact that it was here, at the home of their south London rivals.
After the final whistle skipper Alex Pearce spotted the Lions flag in the apartment block behind the Jimmy Seed Stand and clapped in its and its owner’s direction. Unusual times, but a familiar result for Millwall against their neighbours. Twenty-four years, 12 games, and counting.
And Millwall will be counting on other sides to do them a favour this weekend.
Match details
Cooper blocked Albie Morgan’s shot in the first minute before Tomer Hemed ran into the inside-left channel to shoot low, but Bart Bialkowski made a comfortable save.
In the sixth minute Ryan Leonard helped the ball on to Jayson Molumby on the edge of the box but his shot hit Jason Pearce and deflected back to Phillips.
Tom Lockyer then appeared to be pulling Matt Smith’s jersey as the striker headed over, but referee Dean Whitestone didn’t see any infringement.
Phillips saved Smith’s header from Shaun Hutchinson’s cross in the 24th minute as Millwall had a sustained spell of pressure on the away goal.
There was a moment of worry for Millwall in the 29th minute when Molumby appeared to catch Morgan with his elbow. Morgan stayed down but Whitestone deemed a booking a sufficient punishment.
Millwall had another let-off when Morgan’s ball found Macauley Bonne who was through one-on-one on the right side of the box but Bialkowski save with his feet. Moments later Mahlon Romeo nicked the ball off Deji Oshilaja’s toe before the defender could get a strike on goal.
Jed Wallace had an excellent chance to put the visitors ahead in the 35th minute from Ryan Woods’ dinked pass that took out the home defence, but Phillips came off his line to deny the Lions attacker.
Hemed was inches away from putting the hosts in front four minutes before the break but his hooked effort went just wide of Bialkowski’s right-hand post.
Oshilaja was booked for a late tackle on Romeo on the left as Charlton switched to a back three with Darren Pratley dropping into the centre of defence.
Charlton had the last chance of the first half when Aiden McGeady broke through the middle and his low shot deflected off target.
Ben Thompson came on for Molumby at half-time and four minutes into the second half crossed low for Smith, whose attempted shot was blocked by Lockyer six yards out.
Hemed twice headed wide just past the hour as the drizzle continued to come down on a chilly July evening in south London.
Substitute Chuks Aneke dragged a shot well wide of the right post in the 66th minute and a minute later forced Bialkowski into a save to his right at his near post.
Pratley denied Tom Bradshaw in the box in the 69th minute before Romeo’s shot hit Thompson and moments later the Lions right wing-back shot well wide from 25 yards.
Substitute Bradshaw just couldn’t reach Murray Wallace’s low cross with 16 minutes left before Lockyer fired wildly over from a corner at the other end.
Cooper finally found a breakthrough for the visitors when he followed in after substitute Mahoney’s low shot was saved by Phillips.
Team news
Rowett made four changes to the side that started the 1-1 draw against Swansea on Tuesday.
Alex Pearce returned in place of Shane Ferguson in a back five. Molumby came in for Shaun Williams, Leonard for the injured Mason Bennett and Matt Smith for Tom Bradshaw up front.
Winger Tyler Burey was on the bench.
Millwall: Bialkowski; Romeo (Mitchell, 75), Hutchinson, Pearce, Cooper, M Wallace; Molumby (Thompson, 46), Woods, Leonard (Mahoney, 75); J Wallace (Williams, 85); Smith (Bradshaw, 64).
Subs: Steele, Ferguson, Skalak, Burey.
Image: Millwall FC