Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall reclaimed a spot in the Championship's top two and locked in a play‑off berth by triumphing 3-1 at the bet365 Stadium. The London side surged ahead early when Camiel Neghli scored, giving them a first‑half lead.
Later, Femi Azeez, who has already found the net nine times this campaign, doubled the advantage with a strike in the 55th minute, putting Millwall comfortably ahead. Stoke's hopes were briefly revived when Caleb Taylor inadvertently redirected a cross into his own net at the hour mark, forcing Neil and his coaching staff to a tense moment of uncertainty.
However, the home side's defence continued to wobble, and Josh Coburn sealed the win with a decisive goal in the 69th minute, capitalising on a sloppy defensive lapse. The three points propelled Millwall three places above third‑placed Ipswich Town, who are set to travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday. For Stoke, a season that began with promise is now unraveling; they have managed only two victories in their last ten fixtures. The match also marked the first senior starts for academy graduates Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina.
Stoke almost seized an early lead when a 12th‑minute effort from Robert Bozenik was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who was making his first start since the start of the year. Millwall responded quickly, and although Josh Coburn missed an early chance after a well‑delivered cross from Tristan Crama, the Lions continued to press.
Neghli demonstrated his clinical finishing after just 20 minutes, scoring his second consecutive goal. The opportunity came from a cleverly cut‑back pass by Zak Sturge from the left flank; when Millwall defender Eric Bocat failed to clear the ball cleanly, Neghli curled a powerful left‑foot shot into the top corner.
Four minutes later, Neghli set up a chance for Coburn, who struck the post from seven yards out. Just before halftime, a misplaced pass from Crama found Lewis Baker in space, but the on‑loan Sunderland keeper Patterson was equal to the challenge, parrying a 25‑yard effort. Five minutes into the second half, Patterson again denied a threat, this time saving a volley from Tatsuki Seko after Millwall failed to clear a corner taken by Baker.
Stoke kept up the pressure, and Patterson made another crucial intervention to stop a strike from Million Manhoef. The 1,302 travelling supporters breathed a sigh of relief when Azeez extended Millwall's lead, scoring a second goal for the Lions. The winger collected a pass just outside the penalty area and unleashed a fierce left‑foot shot that proved too powerful for Stoke keeper Gavin Bazunu.
Stoke responded almost immediately. Substitute Lamine Cissé, on his first touch, flicked the ball into the six‑yard box, and an accidental touch from Taylor wrong‑footed Patterson, creating a scramble. However, Coburn restored the lead for Millwall when Bocat's misplaced clearance fell to Neghli, who 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 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." Reflecting on the achievement, Neil added, "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 solidifies Millwall's position near the top of the table but also injects confidence ahead of the final stretch of the season. With just two matches remaining, the Lions will aim to maintain momentum and possibly clinch automatic promotion, while Stoke must regroup quickly to avoid slipping further down the standings.
The £250,000 Super 6 prize remains on offer, with free entry until 3 pm on Saturday.