Report | Millwall 1 Argyle 0
Millwall 1
J Cooper 84
Argyle 0
The Sky Bet Championship season will go down to the final day after a heartbreaking late loss for Argyle at Millwall.
The Greens battled gamely throughout and, in a game of very few chances, looked well worth a crucial point to take back to Home Park for the season finale against Hull City.
Jake Cooper changed the mood drastically when he headed in the winner for the Lions, leaving Argyle a simple equation on the final day: at least match the result of Birmingham City, who host Norwich, and the Pilgrims will stay up.
Argyle made three changes from the defeat at Stoke City last weekend, with Lewis Gibson, Ashley Phillips and Ben Waine given the nod ahead of Julio Pleguezuelo, Adam Forshaw and Ryan Hardie.
Successive wins over Sunderland, Cardiff and Leicester secured Millwall’s second-tier status for next season, and the Lions opened proceedings with a floating cross that forced Michael Cooper into some rapid backpedalling before tipping over his own bar.
Millwall maintained the aerial bombardment with a Tom Bradshaw flick-on forcing Bali Mumba to run round from right wing-back for a brave clearance. Argyle took their turn to offer an attacking threat through Waine firing wide after Morgan Whittaker had pickpocketed a home defender.
The Pilgrims were settling into their task and nifty work from Mustapha Bundu culminated in a powerful drive that was saved by the body of goalkeeper Matija Sarkic. Successive corners came next for Argyle, the second of which nodded wide by Dan Scarr.
Captain Joe Edwards, given a rare run-out in midfield, was next to hassle the Millwall defence into an error, and the loose ball fell for Whittaker to unleash a decent strike that was deflected wide. Moments later, from the subsequent corner, Millwall countered but Whittaker turned on the burners to chase back and produce a crucial block.
A competitive and determined half from Argyle ended with honours even.
Green grit was back to the fore soon after the break and Scarr, an inspiration since his return to the starting line-up, timed a superb tackle to thwart Bradshaw’s dart through the middle, with Brendan Galloway on hand to complete the mop-up job.
It was a proper midfield tussle at the New Den, with chances very limited at both ends. Adam Randell sought to change the pattern with a pass to Waine, which was flicked on for Whittaker and he was about to pull the trigger when a home challenge saved the Lions.
Millwall responded with more good work by Bradshaw, meeting the ball at the near post and forcing Cooper into a top save. Argyle’s number one repeated the trick just past the hour, diving full length to keep out a grasscutter from Ryan Longman. Duncan Watmore then clipped an effort over the bar, as Millwall looked to turn the screw.
The Pilgrims introduced Hardie for Waine with 20 minutes remaining, with scores elsewhere meaning that, as it stood, a goal for Argyle would confirm safety in the Sky Bet Championship.
Randell seemingly heard the call, as he delivered a dangerous corner that fell to Gibson for a shot deflected off target. Scarr won the header to force a third corner in quick succession, this one nodded narrowly over by Gibson.
Pleguezuelo replaced Phillips for the final ten minutes but then disaster struck, as Jake Cooper beat his namesake for a hugely damaging goal against the Greens.
Alfie Devine, Callum Wright and Matty Sorinola replaced Edwards, Bundu and Galloway for the final moments and Argyle scrapped to the end, but it all comes down to a nerve-shredding final day at Home Park.
Millwall: 1 Matija Sarkic; 2 Danny McNamara, 5 Jake Cooper, 6 Japhet Tanganga, 9 Tom Bradshaw (7 Kevin Nisbet 68), 10 Zion Flemming, 11 Ryan Longman, 18 Ryan Leonard, 19 Duncan Watmore (25 Roman Esse 68), 23 George Saville, 24 Casper de Norre. Substitutes (not used): 33 Bartosz Białkowski (gk), 4 Shaun Hutchinson, 8 Billy Mitchell, 17 Brooke Norton-Cuffy, 21 Michael Obafemi, 39 George Honeyman, 45 Wes Harding.
Booked:
Argyle: 1 Michael Cooper; 2 Bali Mumba, 6 Dan Scarr, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (29 Matthew Sorinola 88), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 15 Mustapha Bundu (11 Callum Wright 88), 17 Lewis Gibson, 20 Adam Randell, 22 Brendan Galloway (16 Alfie Devine 88), 23 Ben Waine (9 Ryan Hardie 70), 26 Ashley Phillips (5 Julio Pleguezuelo 81). Substitutes (not used): 21 Conor Hazard (gk), 27 Adam Forshaw, 34 Caleb Roberts, 35 Freddie Issaka.
Booked:
Referee: Andy Davies
Attendance: 17,863 (2,022 Argyle)
