Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall surged back into the Championship’s top two, securing a coveted play‑off spot with a 3‑1 victory at the bet365 Stadium. The London side took an early advantage when Camiel Neghli struck in the first half, and the lead was doubled after 55 minutes when Femi Azeez, who is on pace for his ninth goal of the campaign, found the net.
A defensive mishap from Caleb Taylor, who inadvertently put the ball into his own net at the hour mark, added further pressure on Neil’s side, before Josh Coburn sealed the three points with a decisive strike in the 69th minute, capitalising on a lapse in Stoke’s back line. Millwall’s win propelled them three points clear of third‑placed Ipswich Town, who are set to travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday. Stoke, whose promising start to the season has rapidly deteriorated – they have managed only two wins in their last ten fixtures – gave first‑team debuts to academy graduates Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina.
The Potters almost opened the scoring in the 12th minute when goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, making his first start since the start of the year, parried a low effort from Robert Bozenik. Millwall responded quickly, but Josh Coburn missed his initial chance after a well‑timed cross from Tristan Crama. Neghli, however, demonstrated why he has become a key figure for the Lions.
Twenty minutes into the game he doubled his goal tally for the season, receiving a clever left‑side pass from Zak Sturge. When Eric Bocat failed to clear the ball cleanly, Neghli unleashed a curling left‑foot drive that rose past the stunned goalkeeper. Four minutes later he created another opportunity, this time setting up Coburn, who struck the post from seven yards. Just before half‑time, a misplaced pass from Crama found Lewis Baker in space, but Patterson, now on loan from Sunderland, made a comfortable save from the 25‑yard effort.
The second half saw Stoke press for an equaliser. Patterson was beaten after 48 minutes, yet his right‑hand upright denied a powerful volley from Tatsuki Seko after Millwall failed to clear a corner taken by Baker.
The home side continued to test the visitors, and Patterson once again intervened, this time denying a shot from Million Manhoef. The tension eased for the 1,302 travelling supporters when Azeez doubled Millwall’s lead.
The winger collected the ball just outside the penalty area and unleashed a ferocious left‑footed strike that left Stoke’s keeper Gavin Bazunu with no chance. Stoke attempted to respond immediately.
Substitute Lamine Cissé, after receiving the ball, delicately chipped it into the six‑yard box, where Taylor’s inadvertent touch wrong‑footed Patterson, creating a brief scramble. Nevertheless, Coburn recovered to make it three for the visitors after Bocat’s errant clearance fell to Neghli, who calmly slotted his tenth goal of the season.
After the match, 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 praised his side’s resilience, 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 restores Millwall’s position near the summit but also injects confidence ahead of the final stretch of the season, where every point will be crucial in the battle for automatic promotion. Meanwhile, Stoke’s managerial staff will need to regroup quickly, as the lack of form threatens their aspirations of climbing out of the lower half of the table.
The match also highlighted the importance of youth development, with Otegbayo and Agina gaining valuable experience in a high‑stakes environment. As the Championship race tightens, both clubs will be looking to fine‑tune their tactics and squad selections in pursuit of their respective season objectives.