JOSH Coburn scored a stunning second-half brace on his return to the Riverside stadium to overturn a first-half deficit and send Millwall into second with a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough.
Boro, who started the day in second, dominated the first half and should have possessed more than a one-goal lead heading into the interval, given to them when Dael Fry headed in Alan Browne’s cross at the back post.
As they have made a habit of in recent weeks, the Lions looked much improved after the restart and equalised when Coburn scrambled in Mihailo Ivanovic’s hooked flick back into the box.
The game was far more competitive from then on, and both sides had chances to take the lead before Coburn settled the tie with a thunderous strike with five minutes left to go.
The result means Millwall have leapt Boro and Ipswich into second, and are in a fantastic position to compete for automatic promotion with six games left in the season.
The scale of the occasion was obvious from the packed-out press box and the pre-match atmosphere, and most of the wider English footballing world’s eyes were on the Riverside Stadium, with the only other game on in the top four leagues being Doncaster Rovers vs Mansfield Town.
Boro, with home advantage on their side, looked more comfortable under the scrutiny of the Sky Cameras, flying out of the blocks despite the absence of their talisman Hayden Hackney and leading goalscorer Morgan Whittaker.
Fresh off an intercontinental flight, Australian midfielder Riley McGree completely dominated the first half, constantly causing problems with underlapping runs down Millwall’s left-hand side, with Sturge unable to handle the threat of him and Callum Brittain combined.
The threat Middlesbrough posed was obvious immediately. Within five minutes, Tommy Conway had a shot blocked after a quick counter, Alan Browne headed over the resulting set-piece, then Fry put an effort over from yards out after another corner.
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The game levelled out for the next ten minutes or so, with both sides having half-chances. Boro won corner after corner, one of which Adilson Malanda nodded over the bar, while Casper De Norre and Camiel Neghli both had a go from range.
However, Boro’s procession of corners eventually yielded something.
In the 26th minute, Ivanovic cleared the set-piece as far as Morris. He laid it off to Browne, who put in a lovely curled ball that Fry crashed in at the back post to atone for earlier mistakes on the ball.
From then on it was all Boro, with Millwall having a single shot – Ivanovic’s deflected effort that bounced just past the post.
McGree had an effort blocked by a sprawling Caleb Taylor, David Strelec had one deflected just over the bar by Sturge and Azeez had to clear Fry’s header off the line.
Boro had a lot of joy countering after turning it over in midfield and nearly nabbed a second before half-time. Browne played it across and Crama could only poke at it, allowing McGree to get a shot away that was again blocked.
As has been a theme in the past month, it was a very poor first half by Milwall. Boro had taken nineteen shots to the Lions’ three and had eleven corners to their three.
A response was needed in the second half and after some presumably harsh words from Neil, they provided one.
Initially it looked like it would be more of the same after Strelec fed an onrushing Matt Targett, whose first-time effort was saved.
For the first time this match, Millwall then started to pose a threat in Boro’s box. Crama had a shot deflected, requiring quick reactions from Sol Brynn to keep it out.
The Lions then did one better in the 58th minute. A corner was sent in and towering Jake Cooper won first contact, Ivanovic hooked it towards the six-yard box and Coburn reacted first to turn it in. It initially looked as if Brynn had stopped it from rolling over the line but the technology confirmed it was a goal.
The strike made the game far competitive, and Azeez, who had been subued in the first half, came to life, beating his man for the first time and forcing out a save with a curled effort.
He then put in a lovely ball towards the back post that found Sturge at the back post, whose header was blocked.
The two sides again exchanged chances. Aidan Morris had a free kick tipped over, substitute Barry Bannan volleyed one over the bar and Billy Mitchell made a superb block to deny Tommy Conway after he had dribbled the length of the pitch.
Morris had a golden opportunity when the ball was rolled across to him late on but it got stuck under his feet and scrambled clear.
He was made to pay for his miss in the 86th minute when Coburn got his second with a stunning strike. Adilson Malanda gave the ball away cheaply in midfield and Bannan worked it to Coburn on the edge of the box, who drove forward and planted it into far corner of the net.
Boro applied serious pressure in the five mintutes of added-time, but Millwall defended well to hold on to a vital three points.
Middlesbrough: 3-5-2 – Brynn; Ayling, Fry, Malanda; Brittain (Sarmiento 89), Morris, Browne, McGree, Targett (Bangura 78); Conway, Strelec
Unused substitutes: Wildsmith, Edmundson, Munroe, McCabe, Gilbert, Sene, Ibeh
Millwall: 4-4-2 – Patterson; Crama, Taylor, Cooper, Sturge; Azeez (McNamara 95), De Norre (Bannan 63), Mitchell (Cundle 95), Neghli; Coburn, Ivanovic (Langstaff 85)
Unused substitutes: Crocombe, Ballo, Bryan, Watson, Mazou-Sacko
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
