Millwall 3-2 Sheffield United: Tom Bradshaw hat-trick gives Lions victory
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Millwall have gone 10 league games unbeaten at The Den, winning six of those games
Tom Bradshaw scored a hat-trick to give play-off hopefuls Millwall a home win over second-placed Sheffield United in a pulsating game at The Den.
The Lions took an early lead through a powerful Bradshaw strike but Tommy Doyle equalised from a long-range free-kick six minutes before the break.
The hosts regained the lead just after the hour mark when Bradshaw guided in a header from Andreas Voglsammer's cross from the left, before James McAtee emphatically netted an 82nd-minute leveller after smartly controlling Jayden Bogle's cut-back.
An unmarked Bradshaw then grabbed the winner with two minutes left, tapping in another ball into the centre by Voglsammer to move Millwall up to sixth in the Championship table.
Automatic promotion chasers United, meanwhile, have suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time since October, and third-placed Middlesbrough cut the gap to the Bramall Lane club to just four points by beating QPR 3-1 later on Saturday.
Both the Lions and the Blades made three changes from their league defeats in midweek, which came against Coventry City and Boro respectively, and the hosts - who had enjoyed an extra day's rest - made a high-tempo and direct start.
Bradshaw sent a shot straight at United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham in the fourth minute but made no mistake with a more difficult chance two minutes later, as his first-time effort from inside the box flashed past Foderingham at his near post.
The Lions pressed for a second as Oliver Burke had a shot palmed over, and Millwall were denied a potential penalty by an erroneous offside flag against Bradshaw, who had got to a Jake Cooper knock-down first before being clattered by the keeper.
United eventually grew into the game and equalised from their first shot on target, with George Long unable to keep out Doyle's whipped free-kick from around 28 yards out.
The visitors started the second half on top, with Daniel Jebbison having a shot saved, but Millwall went 2-1 up against the run of play when Zian Flemming burst forward and released Voglsammer, who crossed for Bradshaw to divert the ball inside the right-hand upright.
Millwall keeper Long made a fine double stop to deny Chris Basham and then kept out a deflected Sander Berge cross, but substitute McAtee showed composure inside the six-yard box to drag the Blades level for a second time, with a finish into the roof of the net.
Yet the hosts grabbed all three points when the United defence was undone by a long free-kick which was helped on by Jake Cooper and Charlie Cresswell to find Voglsammer on the right-hand side.
The German then teed up Bradshaw for the simplest of finishes, with the striker scoring his second hat-trick of the season to help extend Millwall's unbeaten home run to 10 league games.
Millwall manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio London:
"I think as a manager you don't quite enjoy the spectacle quite as much as everyone else, but I'll certainly enjoy watching it back - not least because I know we've won.
"Sheffield United are a difficult side but I felt our energy was so important early in the game. Our crowd got behind the players and created a brilliant atmosphere.
"The main disappointment in the game was going in at half-time 1-1, as we had been so dominant and they'd hardly had a sniff of our goal. That was a difficult one to react to.
"Tom Bradshaw is the all-round striker. He works so hard and puts so much energy into games. What I love is when he gets a reward, and it is important for him."
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"It's one that hurts me, I think because we were off the pace of it first half and lucky to go in level.
"There was so much we needed to put right and we needed a big response and a lot of sacrifice and energy injected into the team in the second half, and we did it.
"We wrestled control of the game and were on top. I think their crowd had turned, so for us to give the game to Millwall is so disappointing.
"If you look at the points over the season and the position we are in right now, we are doing great, but we always want to be better and we will push for that.
"We never change our approach and how we are. We are preparing for another game straight away - that is the good thing about this league."