Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall surged back into the Championship’s top‑two positions, cementing a play‑off berth with a 3‑1 triumph at the bet365 Stadium. The London side took the initiative early, with Camiel Neghli opening the scoring and establishing a first‑half lead. Femi Azeez, who has already found the net nine times this campaign, doubled the advantage after the hour mark, putting Millwall firmly in control.
A moment of misfortune for the home side came when Caleb Taylor inadvertently redirected a cross into his own net, further unsettling Stoke and prompting Neil to feel the pressure. However, Josh Coburn sealed the win with a decisive strike in the 69th minute, exploiting a lapse in Stoke’s defensive organization and ensuring the three points. Millwall’s success lifted them three points clear of third‑placed Ipswich Town, who are set to travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday. For Stoke, a season that began with optimism is now rapidly unraveling; the Potters have managed only two victories in their last ten outings.
In an effort to inject fresh energy, Neil handed first‑team debuts to academy prospects Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina. The visitors nearly took the lead in the 12th minute when Anthony Patterson, making his first start since the start of the year, saved a powerful effort from Robert Bozenik. Millwall responded swiftly, with Coburn missing an early chance after a well‑timed cross from Tristan Crama. Neghli, however, demonstrated his finishing prowess just 20 minutes into the match, scoring his second consecutive goal.
The opportunity arose from a clever left‑side pass by Zak Sturge, and when Millwall defender Eric Bocat failed to clear the ball cleanly, Neghli curled a superb left‑foot drive into the net. Four minutes later, Neghli was involved again, this time setting up Coburn, who struck the post from seven yards. Just before halftime, a misplaced pass from Crama gifted Lewis Baker an unexpected chance, but the on‑loan Sunderland keeper Patterson produced a fine save from a 25‑yard effort.
The second half saw Patterson denied again after 48 minutes, his right‑hand upright deflecting a volley from Tatsuki Seko following a corner that Millwall failed to clear. Stoke continued to press, and Patterson intervened to deny a shot from Million Manhoef. Relief rippled through the 1,302 travelling Millwall supporters when Azeez added his second goal, doubling the Lions’ lead. The winger collected a pass just outside the penalty area and unleashed a fierce left‑foot strike that left Stoke goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu with no chance.
Stoke attempted a swift reply, benefitting from a slice of luck. Substitute Lamine Cissé, on his first touch, flicked the ball into the six‑yard box, and an unintended touch by Taylor wrong‑footed Patterson, creating a chaotic moment. Nonetheless, Coburn capitalised on the confusion, netting his third goal of the night after Bocat’s errant clearance fell to Neghli, who tapped in his 10th goal of the season. After the match, Alex Neil expressed his frustration with the team's recent performances, stating, "I am sick of teams who come here and look ordinary and take the points.
This is a team going for automatic promotion so it gives me loads of food for thought. It has been poor for a while. Summer can't come soon enough, that's for sure. There are too many at the moment choosing not to give everything.
I have got plenty to do. It was not good enough so you have to change things and change the way you go about it. It is a season that promised so much at the start and has delivered nothing.
It is really difficult to get excited about. In the interim we have had decent performances in a season that hasn't panned out to the level we wanted it to." Neil also highlighted the significance of the achievement, noting, "We will fight to the end and see where it takes us. It is the biggest achievement the club has had in the last 24 or 25 years and we still have two games to play. We have our eye on what the next two games look like.
We need to try and win those games and let's see what happens elsewhere. The fact we are in the fight for automatic promotion is an incredible achievement for this team, this club and everyone connected with it. If we end up in the play‑offs we will give it our best shot. There is so much to like about this team and I'm privileged I have this opportunity to coach them.
For us to be on 79 points (Millwall's second highest second‑tier tally) with two games remaining has been a dream season for us in terms of what our expectations would have been." The win not only propels Millwall into a favorable position for automatic promotion but also underscores the volatility of Stoke's campaign, where managerial decisions and youthful inclusions have yet to translate into consistent results. As the season approaches its climax, the Lions will aim to maintain momentum, while Stoke must regroup quickly to avoid slipping further down the table. The match also featured promotional content for the Sky Sports app and a reminder about the free Super 6 competition, where a £250,000 prize is up for grabs, with entries closing at 3 pm on Saturday.