Blackpool 1-0 Millwall: Shayne Lavery goal secures win in Championship
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Shayne Lavery gave Blackpool the lead against Millwall
Shayne Lavery's left-foot strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win for Blackpool against Millwall in the Championship.
Lavery fired home after the impressive Millwall goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski saved from CJ Hamilton in the 55th minute at Bloomfield Road.
Bialkowski made a string of saves throughout to keep Millwall in the match but he couldn't keep his side from suffering their third league loss in a row.
The win sends Blackpool 12th in the table on 36 points while the Lions fall to 14th on 33.
Blackpool started well and went close in the 19th minute when Josh Bowler's deflected effort forced an improvised save from Bialkowski with his feet.
Lavery then took aim from a tight angle but Bialkowski was equal to it to parry the ball to safety.
Millwall lost top scorer Bradshaw to a knee injury in last weekend's defeat by Nottingham Forest and lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
Murray Wallace then volleyed wide for the visitors as the first half drew to a close with the score goalless.
Callum Connolly headed just wide from a corner before Gary Madine shot wide from distance as Blackpool cranked up the pressure after the break.
Hamilton then burst into the box past Millwall's Danny McNamara before Bialkowski again blocked the effort, but the ball fell to Lavery who thumped home his ninth Championship goal of the season.
Oliver Burke, signed from Sheffield United on loan on Friday, came on to make his debut as Millwall tried to find an equaliser.
And his side had a great chance to level as substitute Tyler Burey got through the defence and looked to curl an effort home, drawing a fine save from Dan Grimshaw as Blackpool held on for the three points.
Blackpool boss Neil Critchley told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"We've followed the Hull result with another 1-0 and it's always a pleasing result when you manage to keep a clean sheet and win the game.
"We started the second half on the front foot, scored when we were on top which is always good, and then other than Grimmy [Grimshaw] making one save, we saw the game out relatively comfortably.
"It was [a great finish]. He's [Lavery] a constant menace and causes problems. CJ [Hamilton] with his pace has had a big hand in the goal and Shayne, it was a centre-forward's finish."
Millwall boss Gary Rowett told BBC Radio London:
"When you look at some of our recent away games we've just not done the right things for long enough. You can't come to places like this and concede soft goals.
"We've come away from being that horrible team to play against, a team that's really organised and keeps clean sheets, a team that fights to get results away from home.
"The fact we've had nearly 1,000 fans turn up from London, that for me was a disappointment that we didn't give them enough spark in the game."