Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall surged back into the Championship’s top‑two positions, clinching a vital play‑off berth with a 3‑1 triumph at the bet365 Stadium. The London side took the initiative early, with Camiel Neghli delivering a first‑half strike that put the Lions ahead. His effort was soon followed by Femi Azeez, who notched his ninth goal of the campaign to make it 2‑0 after 55 minutes of play. Stoke’s hopes were briefly revived when defender Caleb Taylor inadvertently turned the ball into his own net at the hour mark, forcing Neil and his coaching staff into a tense scramble.
However, Millwall’s forward Josh Coburn restored a comfortable margin in the 69th minute, capitalising on a lapse in the home side’s defensive organisation and sealing the three points. The win propelled Millwall three points clear of third‑placed Ipswich Town, who are set to travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Stoke’s season, which began with a wave of optimism, is now unraveling; the Potters have managed just two victories in their last ten fixtures. In an effort to inject fresh energy, Neil handed debut starts to academy prospects Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina. Stoke came close to an early lead when a 12th‑minute effort from Robert Bozenik was expertly saved by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who was making his first start since the first day of the year.
Millwall responded quickly, with Coburn missing his opening chance after a promising cross from Tristan Crama. The Sky Sports app later highlighted the match, encouraging fans to watch the EFL on Sky with NOW. Neghli, however, demonstrated his finishing prowess just 20 minutes in, scoring his second consecutive goal. The opportunity arose when Zak Sturge delivered a teasing centre‑ball from the left flank; Eric Bocat failed to clear the danger, allowing Neghli to curl a superb left‑foot drive into the net.
Four minutes later, Neghli set up a chance for Coburn, who blazed over from seven yards. Just before the break, a mis‑placed pass from Crama created a rare opening for Lewis Baker, but the on‑loan Sunderland keeper Patterson was equal to the task, denying the City skipper from 25 yards out.
After the interval, Patterson again proved his reflexes, tipping away a volley from Tatsuki Seko after Millwall failed to clear a corner taken by Baker. Stoke continued to press, and Patterson intervened to stop a strike from Million Manhoef.
The travelling contingent of 1,302 Millwall supporters breathed a sigh of relief when Azeez doubled the Lions’ lead. The winger, who had been a constant threat, collected a pass just outside the penalty area and unleashed a ferocious left‑foot shot that left Stoke keeper Gavin Bazunu with no chance.
Stoke attempted a swift response, and substitute Lamine Cissé, on his first touch, delicately floated the ball into the six‑yard box. Taylor’s inadvertent touch wrong‑footed Patterson, but Coburn capitalised on the chaos, scoring his third goal of the night after Bocat’s errant clearance fell to Neghli, who then tapped in 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 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.” Reflecting on the victory, Millwall’s Alex Neil said, “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 match also featured a promotional element, noting that a £250,000 prize is up for grabs in the Super 6 competition, which remains free to enter until the deadline at 3 pm on Saturday. The result not only cements Millwall’s position in the promotion race but also adds pressure on Stoke City to halt their slide and find a way back to winning ways as the season draws to a close.