MILLWALL have sunk deeper into danger and face a serious fight for survival after losing late on to relegation rivals Huddersfield Town.
The Terriers leapt out of the bottom three after a goal deep in stoppage time by substitute Rhys Healey settled a scrappy and largely low-quality affair at the John Smith Stadium.
In what is their most damaging week of the season so far, the Lions have lost a second game in Yorkshire in six days but will once again look at the scoreline and feel hard done by.
Like against Rotherham United, there were chances there for them to score but they lacked composure in front of goal and did not stand strong in the final minutes like they needed to.
Neil Harris, who was left grumpy after a contentious penalty shout in the Rotherham defeat was turned down, will be furious that officials missed what seemed to be a clear handball by Alex Matos in the first half.
Sheffield Wednesday beat Queens Park Rangers meaning just four points separate eight sides in this extraordinary relegation battle. Millwall are now only two points above the drop and face league leaders Leicester City on Tuesday night.
In many ways it was a must-win game for both the Terriers and the Lions which explained the early intensity from both sides that was visible in the opening minutes.
The first three minutes saw decent chances at either end with Delano Burgzorg not managing to beat Matija Sarkic with his tame effort before Billy Mitchell hit a shot straight at Lee Nicholls from inside the box.
Ryan Longman, who had a lively first half, would then come down the right after 13 minutes and deliver a perfect, whipped cross to the back post. George Honeyman and Michael Obafemi got in each other’s way and neither could knock it home.
The game settled down for a bit with the Lions the better in possession and Mitchell and George Saville dictating things from midfield.
Millwall’s control was particularly commendable given the weather conditions with Harris’ side were kicking into a vicious wind throughout the first half.
The difficulty of the conditions almost caught Sarkic out when he put too much height on a long ball forward, allowing the wind to send it back in his direction.
From the 30 minute mark onwards, a flurry of chances came in the most action-packed period of the game before half-time. First it was Josh Koroma who got free in the box but his effort was deflected wide by a last-ditch Japhet Tanganga block. From the corner, Millwall just about survived a goalmouth scramble.
Huddersfield had begun to take advantage of the windy conditions by just chucking the ball at the Millwall defence and hoping nature intervened. But the Lions would not go quietly and should have had a penalty when Chelsea loanee Matos blocked Obafemi’s acrobatic effort with his hands.
Jake Cooper then headed over from a yard out from the corner that was given.
Huddersfield would end the half with a big chance as Ryan Leonard had to put in a magnificent challenge in at the back post to deny Koroma knocking home a rebound after Sarkic denied Burgzorg again.
The second half would see both the wind, and the intensity, die down.
Huddersfield really should have been ahead early on in the half as Burgzorg somehow failed to convert from the back post after Leonard failed to clear a low ball that had been slipped across the six-yard box.
After an hour, Mitchell and Thomas were both booked after a sudden bust-up. They had been fighting for possession before both simultaneously forgot about the ball and went for each other.
The outbreak of frustration was not surprising with neither team able to find their flow after the break.
Obafemi and Mitchell came off for Casper De Norre and Brooke Norton-Cuffy after 69 minutes, with Longman shifted up front. Amid these changes, both Saville and Honeyman would have injury scares but managed to continue.
De Norre would have half a chance after 78 minutes when he latched onto a long throw at the back post but the Belgian, still searching for his first Millwall goal, ballooned his effort over.
Both sets of fans watched the final 10 minutes in frustration as Millwall and Huddersfield lacked the quality to get the final pass right or fashion meaningful efforts at goal on their own accord.
The hosts, being the home side and in need of the three points, were putting on more pressure and Healey, thrown on for Bojan Radulovic after an hour, would put a diving header wide.
That was a warning shot for Millwall which they did not heed. A corner from Thomas in the 94th minute was headed at goal by Michal Helik and saved well by Sarkic. But the rebound fell for Healey who instinctively headed it home from a yard out.
It was another gut punch for a Lions side that need their form and luck to change immediately.
Five cup finals remain.
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Millwall: 4-4-1-1: Sarkic; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper (c), McNamara; Longman, Mitchell, Saville, Honeyman; Flemming; Obafemi.
Huddersfield: 4-4-2: Nicholls; Spencer, Pearson, Helik (c), Jackson; Thomas, Kasumu, Matos, Koroma; Burgzorg, Radulovic.
Referee: James Linington
Attendance: 18,579