Five goals in twenty-five minutes saw Millwall’s play-off push ended in an end to end thriller against QPR.

The away side needed a win to take the race for sixth to the final game but were ruthlessly cut open by a deadly QPR attack.

Millwall named an unchanged side from the XI that won at home to Blackburn in midweek, manager Gary Rowett hoping for a similarly resolute performance.

Anything other than a win would see Millwall’s play-off hopes ended. Mason Bennett’s early injury was a blow for the Lions. The on-loan forward limped off on 11 minutes, his third injury since joining in January.

Despite Millwall going close through a Jon Dadi Bodvarsson header that hit the post, it was the host who dominated the early stages.

Bartosz Bialkowski was in fine form as he denied Ilias Chair and Luke Amos with an excellent double save, 21 minutes in.

QPR continued to threaten through Chair and Ryan Manning down the left-hand side as Millwall struggled to string passes together.

The host’s made their pressure pay just before half time. Bialkowski denied Yoann Barbet as he met Ebere Eze’s corner.

The Polish stoppers efforts were in vain, as Conor Masterson was on hand to poke home the rebound for his first senior goal.

QPR flew out of the blocks, and it was Chair again who drew another save from Bialkowski, who tipped his long-range effort over the bar.

Millwall needed a reaction to save their season and they got one. Matt Smith scored his 13th of the season with virtually his first touch on 49 minutes. The big man was in acres of space to turn in Jed Wallace’s cut back.

The away side weren’t level for long. Ryan Manning’s 20-yard strike evaded the attempted blocks and bounced into the bottom corner three minutes later.

The game burst into life. With Millwall needing to score to keep their season alive, they were left exposed on the counter.  

QPR looked threatening, Osman Kakay forcing Bialkowski into another fine save, Manning hit the bar with another fierce effort and Chair should have scored when he was played in by Ebere Eze.

QPR’s relentless attacking paid off when talisman Eze doubled the R’s lead on 62 minutes. He burst forward past Shaun Hutchinson on the break and slotted home comfortably.

This game showed no signs of slowing down. Minutes after Alex Pearce had a goal ruled out for offside, Millwall were back in it. Hutchinson atoning with a goal, heading home Wallace’s whipped corner in the 67th minute.

Millwall’s hopes of a comeback were once again dealt a blow on 73 minutes. QPR substitute Todd Kane nodded home Dominic Ball’s cross to score with his first touch.

It was a breathless second half, but Millwall found themselves being repeatedly punished on the counter as they threw bodies forward in search of three points.

Jayson Molumby’s deflected strike was little consolation for the Lions, the Irishman’s first senior goal proving to be a damp squib.

Rowett’s second half gamble didn’t pay off, but it was very much an all or nothing situation for the Lions.

The defeat leaves Millwall five points away from sixth-placed Cardiff City and ends any dreams of the play-offs.

 

Teams:

Millwall: Bialkowski; Romeo (Smith 45), Hutchinson, Pearce (Mitchell 87), Cooper, Ferguson; Woods, Leonard (Molumby 56); J. Wallace, Bradshaw (Mahoney 56), Bennett (Bodvarsson 11).

Subs: Steele, Williams, M. Wallace, Thompson.

QPR: Lumley; Kakay, Masterson, Cameron, Barbet, Manning; Amos (Bettache 92), Ball; Shodipo (Kane 71), Eze, Chair (Oteh 83).

Subs: Kelly, Gubbins, Clarke.