Hull City 0-1 Millwall: Ryan Leonard scores winner in second minute
- Published
Ryan Leonard's winner for Millwall was his first goal of the season
Hull City's fight to avoid the drop from the Championship suffered a blow as they lost at home to play-off chasing Millwall.
With all Hull's relegation rivals failing to win, a positive result against the Lions would have gone a long way to helping their survival bid, but Ryan Leonard's thunderous effort into the top corner from 25 yards inside the opening 90 seconds was all Millwall needed for victory.
Josh Bowler and Mallik Wilks had Hull's best efforts to level in the first half, while the Lions spurned a number of good chances to increase their lead.
Hull rarely threatened after the break as they lost a third straight game.
The Tigers stay in the final relegation place, but are no worse off than they were at the start of the day. However, the defeat does give Stoke City the chance to pull four points clear of the drop zone if they can beat struggling Birmingham City on Sunday.
Meanwhile Millwall move up to ninth in the table, just two points off the play-off places with nine points still to play for.
Leonard wonder-strike downs Tigers
Leonard's second-minute winner came after neat interplay around the left corner of the Hull 18-yard box allowed Jake Cooper to play in the midfielder who had the space to unleash one of the Lions' goals of the season.
It should have been 2-0 nine minutes later as teenage midfielder Billy Mitchell - making his first league start - blasted an effort over the bar from 15 yards after Shane Ferguson had found him unmarked as he pulled the ball back from the byline.
While Millwall had large swathes of the possession and territory Hull did have chances of their own - Bartosz Bialkowski was forced to save well from Bowler and Wilks after had both broken through the defence and had efforts from close range.
But Hull were indebted to goalkeeper George Long just before half-time as he made a good save with his legs from Leonard as Tom Bradshaw's pull-back found the goalscorer unmarked in the box.
Chances were at a premium after the break - Bradshaw put an effort over the bar while Shaun Hutchinson had a header from a corner that was beaten away by Long.
Hull boss Grant McCann put on more attacking players, and his ploy almost worked in the 84th minute, but 19-year-old substitute Keane Lewis-Potter scuffed his shot from six yards out when he was found unmarked at the back post and Bialkowski easily smothered the effort.
Hull's next two games are against fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic and Luton Town, before they end the season against Cardiff City, who occupy the final play-off place.
Millwall face Blackburn, QPR and Huddersfield in their final fixtures, all sides below them in the table, and will have high hopes of sneaking into he final play-off place.
Manager reaction
Hull City manager Grant McCann told BBC Radio Humberside: "It's a big week coming up now with Wigan away and Luton at home so we've got to make sure we're much better than we showed today in the first half.
"One thing that's pleasing me at the minute, yes we haven't scored as many goals in the last two games, but we're creating the chances, we're getting ourselves into dangerous areas, now it's just that little bit of composure for that final cross or shot to take the chance.
"We're going to fight to the end. We will work hard over the next couple of days and make sure sure we can try and get this team, get some response and get over the line."
Millwall manager Gary Rowett said: "I think we've come and dug out a really professional win today.
"Obviously we're at a point where you've got to win games to stay in the mix because other teams are going to.
"It makes it exciting. I think the team deserve an awful lot of credit, where they've come to even be in the conversation."