Middlesbrough's Emmanuel Latte Lath celebrates his goal in the first half against Millwall
Emmanuel Latte Lath fired Middlesbrough back into the Championship play-off places with a goal that inflicted defeat on Millwall manager Neil Harris in his final match in charge.
The Lions boss this week announced he was walking away from The Den after the trip to the Riverside Stadium but his team could not make it a happy occasion as their winless run stretched to six games with Latte Lath's 10th-minute goal proving decisive.
Victory got Boro back on track after they had won just one of their previous four games, with manager Michael Carrick making five changes from the team that lost at Leeds in midweek.
Home-grown Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn was preferred to Seny Dieng and distinguished himself with important saves from Macaulay Langstaff and Femi Azeez.
- Published16 December 2024
There were reports of Millwall players in tears at the training ground after Harris made his shock announcement on Tuesday, saying he would remain in charge for the two final games, against promotion hopefuls Sheffield United and Boro.
They ended up losing both games; although they began at the Riverside Stadium like a side intent on giving the popular Harris a fine send-off.
George Edmundson blocked Langstaff's overhead kick at close range and then Brynn had to spread his big frame to deny the same Millwall man after Edmundson had underhit a backpass.
Boro woke up and struck after 10 minutes as Latte Lath played a sharp one-two with Finn Azaz and struck his shot between the legs of goalkeeper Lukas Jensen for his eighth goal of the season and a sixth goal involvement in the past five home games for the influential Azaz,
Boro lost Luke Ayling through injury and Brynn had to be on his toes again as Femi Azeez raced clear from Romain Esse's ball over the top to ensure the home side's first clean sheet for 10 games.
Millwall's fire faded as the half wore on and Boro should have made sure as Latte Lath ran half the length of the field and played in Azaz, who got his shot all wrong, and then Hayden Hackney had a shot beaten away by Jensen.
The only sniff of a goal for Millwall came when Esse beat three men in a run to the edge of the box but fired his shot tamely into the arms of Brynn.
The second half was curiously short on penalty area action as Boro were content to protect their lead and play on the break and the visitors could not summon enough inventiveness to trouble them.
Post-match reaction
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"They (Millwall) are a very good team, so hard to play against, and it proved to be the case. In the end we had to do some really good things to win the game - a really good goal and we had to defend at times and protected the goal ever so well.
"Sol (Brynn) made two big saves in the first half early on but after that we coped with them very well and maybe should have nicked an extra goal or two, in the spaces that we created for ourselves.
"That was one of my favourite wins of the season, coming off the back of the two games we had [Burnley and Leeds] and knowing how tough it was going to be. To keep a clean sheet and win 1-0 … there will be games like that this season and that's what we need to find."
Millwall manager Neil Harris told BBC Radio London:
"It wasn't the way I wanted to leave the football club, on the back of a defeat. We were playing a really good Boro side, whose front four is exceptional, and I can't be any prouder of the club.
"It's the right time to part ways, for the club to have a new direction for themselves. I've been here for five-and-a-half years over two periods as manager and it's been phenomenal.
"Today's result and results off the back of a week won't define my second reign. We've had a successful 10 months and I feel we leave the club in really good hands and safe position, so I'm disappointed today but still extremely proud.
"It's been emotional because a lot of the staff and players have been with me for a long time, and it's been a phenomenal rise from February, when we were in the bottom three, to security last year and to start so well this year.
"It's been difficult for the lads because they're losing their leader and it's difficult for them to understand why, and where they're going next. We've tried to bridge that gap with humility, honesty and love as I care about the players, they're really good lads."
