Rovers’ ambitions of finishing the season among the top six were ended at the hands of Millwall, who themselves moved closer to the playoff places after The Lions’ 1-0 victory on Tuesday night, at The Den.
After claiming a 1-1 draw against high-flying West Bromwich Albion last time out, Tony Mowbray made one change to the team that fought hard against the Baggies. Elliott Bennett came back into the side to replace Ryan Nyambe who dropped down to the bench. Along with the change to the starting-eleven, there was an introduction on the bench as Ben Brereton returned after his three-match suspension which was received following his sending off at Barnsley, a fortnight ago.
As Adam Armstrong stood over the ball to kick the game off, the taking of ‘the knee’ for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement was performed, just prior to referee John Brooks blowing his whistle which signalled the start of the match.
John Brooks began the game a busy man, as he was forced to go to his pocket just 60 seconds into the match after Joe Rankin-Costello was deemed to have caught Millwall wing-back Mahlon Romeo late on. As a result, the Rovers youngster, who was filling in at left-back, saw a yellow card for his trouble.
The first opportunity fell Rovers’ way after five minutes of play. Adam Armstrong used his balance and speed well to bust past a few defenders before trying his luck from just outside the area. Unfortunately for Rovers, their main man’s effort lacked the precision to trouble Millwall’s ‘keeper Bartosz Białkowski, who got down to his right easily to make a comfortable save.
On the 15th minute, a cross-cum-shot by Shane Ferguson was well cleared by Tosin Adarabioyo, who was wary of former Shrewsbury Town forward Tom Bradshaw’s presence behind him, which denied the forward a potential tap-in from close-range.
Two minutes later, Shaun Hutchinson came within inches of putting Millwall ahead as he narrowly prodded wide from a corner that the hosts had earnt after Adarabioyo’s clearance moments earlier.
On the 20th minute, Millwall’s pressure over the past couple of minutes eventually paid off as they managed to break the deadlock through on-loan Derby County forward Mason Bennett. Rovers tried to play out from the back as Christian Walton rolled the ball out to Adarabioyo, who found Bradley Johnson who himself, laid the ball into Armstrong. The forward was wrestled off the ball by Hutchinson, despite waves of ‘play on’ by Mr. Brooks. Jed Wallace soon picked up the ball and played in a low cross to Bradshaw whose first-time effort was well-blocked by Darragh Lenihan. Unluckily for the centre-back, his block only deflected as far as an unmarked Mason Bennett who took a touch to steady himself, before firing confidently into the bottom left-hand corner to put Millwall 1-0 up.
After the 22nd minute drinks break, Rovers came close to equalising on the 33rd minute as Armstrong and Johnson combined well. The former did well to again, skip past a few Millwall shirts before finding Johnson with a cutback. Although the move was good, Johnson lacked the composure to find a finish that would have drawn the scoreline level, as his effort from around 25-yards out skewed wide of the mark.
The away side were once again placed into the referee’s notebook after Lewis Travis was cautioned for a foul on Shane Ferguson.
A relatively quiet first-half soon came to an end after three minutes of added time brought little to no goalmouth action for either side.
The dressing rooms would have had opposing messages given the table situation that both sides found themselves in at the break.
Millwall boss Gary Rowett would have been overjoyed with how his side had dealt with Rovers’ early attacking threat, by scoring a goal themselves. The Lions boss would have been pleased by their incessant pressure and physicality against a more technical-based Rovers side, however the former Stoke boss would have been quick to remind his players that Rovers had come back from behind in their past two games.
Tony Mowbray in contrast, would have been furious with the manner in which his side had conceded the goal. Despite their willingness to play out from the back in a more technical manner, their lack of precision and speed, both on and off the ball, led to their defence being breached. Although the boss would have been annoyed that Mason Bennett had been so open at the back-post, he would have equally been frustrated with the lack of opportunities his side had created, despite having 59% possession at the break.
Mowbray’s fury was shown at the start of the second-half as he made two of his five allowed substitutions at the break. Saturday’s impact changes Joe Rothwell and Sam Gallagher were brought on for the second 45 minutes as Danny Graham and Dominic Samuel were the unlucky duo withdrawn.
Millwall restarted the game for the second-half and managed to craft the period’s first opportunity after only two minutes of time were played. The 47th minute saw former Wolves winger Jed Wallace exploit Rovers’ offside trap and try his luck from close-range in an attempt to try and beat Walton at his near-post. The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion shot-stopper was alert enough to deny the winger a goal, before Lenihan dealt with the danger.
From Lenihan’s clearance, Rovers got themselves up the field and were denied an equaliser by a deflection. Joe Rothwell managed to wriggle free of multiple Millwall defenders before finding Elliott Bennett who cut the ball back to Stewart Downing who was lurking on the edge of the area. The former England international tried his luck from 25-yards out, but saw his effort deflect behind for a corner, which the hosts soon dealt with.
Minutes later, Rovers stepped up their attack through the overlapping Joe Rankin-Costello. The young utilityman burst forward before trying his luck from the corner of the penalty area, but sadly, saw his effort curl the wrong side of the upright.
The 59th minute saw Rovers have their best opportunity of the second-half thus far. Joe Rothwell tried his luck from the same distance Downing did, but like the veteran, Rothwell’s shot was deflected. The deflected effort fell to Rankin-Costello who flicked the ball towards Sam Gallagher. The towering substitute did well to win the header against two Millwall defenders, as he knocked the ball down into Armstrong’s path. Rovers’ top scorer wasted no time in taking the effort first-time, but his side-footed effort lacked the power to trouble the Pole in goal as Białkowski made a comfortable save down to his left.
A Millwall counter-attack on the 63rd minute saw Rovers all at seas as Christian Walton did well to deny Bradshaw’s snapshot at his near-post.
After the game’s second drinks break on the 67th minute, both sides made alterations to their side in the minutes that followed. The 69th minute saw Millwall swap Jón Daði Böðvarsson for goalscorer Mason Bennett, whilst Murray Wallace replaced Mahlon Romeo, whilst the 71st minute saw Lewis Holtby replace the booked Lewis Travis.
As the game petered out with Rovers incapable of breaking down a sturdy Millwall side, more changes were made as Millwall swapped Ben Thompson and former Rover Connor Mahoney for Shane Ferguson and Tom Bradshaw. Simultaneously, Rovers made a double change of their own as young duo John Buckley and Jacob Davenport replaced the veteran heads of Bradley Johnson and Stewart Downing.
Millwall began to waste time by making their fifth and final change of the game, on the 87th minute as Jayson Molumby replaced Jed Wallace.
Their antics were taken further in the 89th minute as Jake Cooper was booked for timewasting.
As the 90th minute ticked onto the clock, referee John Brooks called for an extra seven minutes of time to be added as Rovers pushed to try and keep their faint hopes of securing a playoff place alive.
The final chance of the game fell to Rovers in the 97th minute as Joe Rankin-Costello came within inches of salvaging a point for Rovers. A short free-kick by John Buckley was laid off into the path of Elliott Bennett who tried to cross from deep. The skipper’s delivery was knocked down by Lenihan into Rankin-Costello’s path. The youngster did well to bring the ball down under control via his chest before trying to wrap his left-foot around the ball, however his effort lacked the correct direction of curl as it skewed narrowly wide of the post.
That proved to be the last action of the game as Rovers’ lack of potency at both ends of the pitch, coupled with other results going against them, meant that Rovers were officially consigned to another season in the second tier of English football. Coupled with that disappointment, came the disappointment of Rovers’ seven-year unbeaten streak against The Lions, with the last defeat coming in 2013’s FA Cup clash.
After the brief optimistic revival of the playoff hopes, it comes as no surprise that the chance to gate-crash the top six has gone, given the manner in which Rovers have performed this season. On more than one occasion, Rovers have found themselves within touching distance of the playoffs and have failed to capitalise on either, results going in their favour elsewhere, or their own opponents lacking a goal-threat. This game, in many ways has provided Rovers’ ‘story of the season’ as they failed to make their chances pay before withering away themselves at the hands of a ‘soft’ goal.
Given Rovers now have nothing but pride to play for, Tuesday night’s results has left them languishing in mid-table. Mowbray’s men are seemingly cemented in 12th position, with 60 points and a positive goal difference of three from the 44 games played.
Looking ahead to the final two games of the season, Rovers play their final home game of the campaign on Saturday 18th July, as they host Reading at 3pm, whilst they round of their season away at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road on Wednesday 22nd July at 7:30pm.
