Millwall fell to a fourth home defeat of the season as Blackburn Rovers came from behind to win 2-1 at The Den on Tuesday night.
It was a great start for the Lions as they found themselves in front just three minutes in. Some woeful Blackburn defending was bettered by an even more shocking moment from keeper Leopold Wahlstedt who completely fumbled Wes Harding’s header, the former Rotherham man scoring his first goal for the club.
The visitors were level in the 22nd minute thanks to Joe Rankin-Costello – his shot squirmed under Lions stopper Bart Bialkowski.
The game started at a fast pace from the home side, the complete opposite to Preston at the weekend on the front foot and looking to create and they were rewarded with a third minute goal – one the Blackburn keeper will not want to see again.
Despite Millwall’s bright start the visitors were still a threat. You can’t help but admire how they want to play the game with their free flowing attacking style of play. Inevitably they begun to get back into the contest, creating overloads on Millwall’s left hand side, both Aidomo Emakhu and Joe Bryan were struggling with the quality Brittain and Rankin-Costello were showing.
It would be Ranking-Costello that found the equaliser, Millwall again caught down the left hand side and after a neat passage of play his shot found it’s way under Bialkowksi’s body and into the net – neither keeper covering themselves in glory with their efforts at keeping the ball out of the net.
The Lions stopper did make amends before the break, making a smart stop to deny Harry Pickering who had been set up well by Dominic Hyam.
The Lions started the second half in the same vein as the first, attacking mentality but lack of real quality.
But it would be Blackburn that would take the lead, Millwall once again guilty of leaving gaps in defence. Brittain was picked out and finished superbly into the top corner leaving Bialkowski with no chance.
To rub salt in the wounds, Joe Bryan limped off after the goal and gingerly made his way around the ground to be replaced by Murray Wallace.
Had it not been for the Pole, things could have got worse, the goalkeeper making two top class saves to deny Rovers moving 3-1 in front.
That forced Millwall to rally, Tom Bradshaw, starved of service for the majority of the night saw a header saved and another blocked from a corner as the home crowd tried to lift their team.
Rovers were denied again by Bialkokwsi is the 81st minute, Dolan was found in space, he set up Sammie Szmodics but he was denied by a superb stop from Bialkowski who tipped his effort onto the bar.
Image: Millwall FC