Bristol City 0-1 Millwall: Shaun Hutchinson scores 92nd-minute winner for Lions
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Shaun Hutchinson had not scored since netting the winner in a 1-0 victory at Derby in March 2021
Shaun Hutchinson scored a 92nd-minute winner for Millwall as they beat Bristol City for their third victory in a row.
The centre-back volleyed home in stoppage time to give the Lions all three points and cap a successful festive period in which they have gone unbeaten in five games.
Jason Knight saw a header saved for the Robins in the first half in the hosts' only real chance of the match.
The loss ends Bristol City's four-game unbeaten run and sees them drop three places to 11th in the table, while Millwall rise to 15th.
After Bristol City ended 2023 with a goalless draw away to Birmingham in which there were no shots on target by either team, the New Year's Day match looked to be going the same way for the Robins in a largely lacklustre game with minimal chances.
It was far from a thrilling first half as Millwall, with five across the back, seemed content to sit back and let Bristol City have most of the ball.
The best and only real chance of the half fell to Bristol City's Knight, who headed down a cross from Joe Williams but Matija Sarkic got down well to stop it from creeping inside the post.
Millwall's attacking threat grew after the break and they looked the only side capable of scoring as the hosts failed to trouble Sarkic at all during the second 45 minutes.
Murray Wallace sent a header over the bar and Brooke Norton Cuffy forced Max O'Leary into a rare save while Rob Dickie cleared a header off the line from Hutchinson.
But the defender finally got the ball in the net for his first goal in almost three years after the 90 minutes was up, turning in the box as a cross came in to strike the ball beyond O'Leary into the bottom corner to continue Millwall's upturn in results.
Bristol City manager Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:
"First half I was relatively pleased with the control we had. I think the big bit then going out in the second half was how do we turn that control into creating scoring chances?
"I thought we then came out and we lost control of the second half and didn't move the ball as well as we could. The atmosphere was edgy because of it.
"Rather than keeping that relentless nature of keep the ball, keep switching it but then be braver with it to play forward, to take people on, to ask the question, I thought we lost control and lacked a bit of bravery second half."
Millwall manager Joe Edwards told BBC Radio London:
"It's been a busy 10 days, some real strong performances which was sort of encapsulated with that one today.
"We came and faced a team that were moving the ball well in the first half and we had to work hard and be diligent in our defensive work, which we've done really well at the moment.
"Second half we grew in confidence, we grew in belief and showed a lot more quality. Although we got the winning goal from a set-piece we played some good football and were good value for our win today."
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