Millwall 3-4 Blackburn: Ben Brereton Diaz scores twice as Rovers fight back in thriller with both sides missing out on Championship play-offs
- Duncan Watmore and Oliver Burke’s brace gave Millwall a 3–1 half-time lead
- Ben Brereton Diaz’s second half helped Blackburn back to victory
- Blackburn missed out on reaching the play-offs on goal difference against Sunderland
Millwall’s play-off ambitions collapsed disastrously at The Den as Ben Brereton-Diaz staged an incredible comeback for visitors Blackburn.
The home team led 3-1 at half-time and seemed reasonably set to make the play-offs at the expense of the visitors. That could be counted without Brereton-Diaz and the unquenchable spirit of a Blackburn that was also missed by results elsewhere.
The Chile striker scored two and set up another to cap off a thrilling fightback that silenced The Den.
The game was a kaleidoscope of patterns and action from minute one, played against the backdrop of a cacophonous racket caused by 17,588 fans who couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing.
Both sides had stuttered in recent weeks, especially Blackburn who had not won a game since March 15.
Ben Brereton Diaz scored twice as Blackburn fought back from 3-1 down to win against Millwall
The Brereton Diaz inspired comeback was not enough as Blackburn missed out on the playoffs
Millwall had a playoff spot when leading at half-time but had to lament a second-half collapse
Their respective collapses in form meant that at best only one side could make the playoffs at the final whistle and both could miss.
Millwall was adamant it wouldn’t be them and almost went ahead on three minutes when Tom Bradshaw just failed to make contact with a long throw from Zian Flemming.
Five minutes later, another Flemming throw-in caused more consternation in the Blackburn defense before Duncan Watmore hammered in a rising shot from the underside of the crossbar, while referee Craig Pawson confirmed it had crossed the line before bouncing out.
When Bradshaw then followed a Flemming free kick that hit the post, The Den erupted again until an offside flag curtailed the home party.
Does not matter. Millwall continued to stream forward until out of the blue Adam Wharton ended a period of Blackburn possession when he turned to sweep a left foot shot past George Long.
The Millwall keeper then had to hang on to a shot from Joe Rankin-Costello as Blackburn held sway.
Just as quickly, the momentum shifted again when Blackburn left-back Harry Pickering headed an Oliver Burke cross away from keeper Aynsley Pears and Watmore cheerfully sent in from a sharp angle.
Within two minutes Burke fired an angled shot into the far corner and Millwall looked safe for the play-offs.
Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson made two half-time substitutions. One of them, Callum Brittain, played a vital role in reducing his side’s deficit five minutes into the second period.
A Ben Brereton-Diaz free-kick was parried by Long, who also saved Brittain’s follow-up, but couldn’t deny Rankin-Costello.
Brereton-Diaz then silenced three sides of The Den as he seized on the growing hesitation on the Millwall side to creep home from the edge of the area.
That equalizer was almost followed by Rovers who took the lead 60 seconds later when the Chile international hit the post and sent Tyrhys Dolan the rebound centimeters wide.
That miss only delayed the completion of a comeback for centuries as Brereton-Diaz turned the ball home at the far post to end the scoring on a surreal afternoon with both sides missing out on a play-off berth.