Millwall 1-3 Middlesbrough
- Published
Middlesbrough climbed back into the Championship play-off places with a convincing win over Millwall.
Marvin Emnes deflected in Boro's first goal and then netted with a low shot to take his tally for the season to 14.
Darius Henderson pulled one back with a looping header before half-time, but Curtis Main's late strike, his first for the club, ensured Boro's victory.
It was a second successive victory after last week's win over Nottingham Forest ended a six-game winless streak.
Millwall were under pressure from the off and could have found themselves behind inside the first five minutes but poor finishing by Lukas Jutkiewicz and a superb save by goalkeeper David Forde kept them in the game.
However, Boro did not have to wait long to take the lead and they scored in the 14th minute when Millwall failed to clear a corner and Emnes diverted the ball past the unsighted Forde.
Main showed real quality - Mowbray
Emnes's second arrived in the 38th minute when he collected Barry Robson's pass 35 yards out and skipped past Harry Kane's challenge on the edge of the area before striking a superb shot past Forde.
Millwall responded quickly and five minutes later Henderson had the ball in the back of Boro's net after Scott Barron floated a free-kick into the penalty area which Liam Trotter nodded back across goal for Henderson to loop the ball over Boro keeper Jason Steele.
Lions boss Kenny Jackett brought on Alan Dunne and Jimmy Abdou for the second half and Millwall came close to equalising but Trotter, Liam Feeney and Henderson all squandered good chances in front of goal.
Boro wrapped up victory four minutes from the end after Julio Arca's cross found its way to teenager Main who fired in a powerful shot to score his first Boro goal.
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett:
"We were very poor, we were physically not strong enough and we got bullied.
"We have to look at ourselves. We weren't competitive enough or strong enough in the first half.
"We can't give ourselves a mountain to climb like that, but we did fight back with some spirit."
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray:
"Ultimately we are pleased with the points. It is not easy to come here - you always know you are going to get a game.
"But we showed our quality and should have punished Millwall more and we had some amazing chances.
"We saw two sides of the Middlesbrough team, the quality we possess but also the fighting spirit and the ability to dig in."