Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Millwall 1.
BlackburnBlackburn Rovers2MillwallMillwall1
Adam Armstrong's deflected stoppage-time goal saw Blackburn beat Millwall and record their fourth win in five Championship games.
Harvey Elliott superbly curled in his first Ewood Park goal to give Rovers the lead after good build-up play set up the on-loan Liverpool teenager.
But the lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Scott Malone fired a deserved equaliser into the top corner after being set up by Jed Wallace's driving run forward.
With the game looking as though it would end all-square, Armstrong netted his 14th goal of the season as Stewart Downing's shot was blocked into his path and he fired in via the foot of a defender.
Blackburn stay in ninth place in the Championship, two points off the play-off places, while Millwall slip down to 14th place after failing to win for the eighth time in nine matches.
The impressive Elliott forced an excellent low save from Millwall keeper Bartosz Bialkowski in the fourth minute after Armstrong had seen a shot blocked, while Shaun Williams volleyed over the Blackburn bar for the visitors eight minutes later.
After going in level at half-time, both sides could have scored soon after the break as Armstrong fired over and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson forced a good save from Thomas Kaminski in the Blackburn goal.
Kaminski also saved well from Malone's header after a Millwall corner with 20 minutes to go, and after Armstrong put Blackburn back in front, the Lions felt they should have had a penalty for handball which could have enabled them to rescue a point.
Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I've just had a long chat with the team, we're obviously delighted for them find a way to win, but ultimately we have to be better if we're going to genuinely challenge.
"I genuinely felt we looked a bit jaded tonight, that was the first time I think. I felt they were off the pace of where we can get to with the intensity really.
"There are lots for us to keep working on. We've got some tough games coming up now on the back of this run, and games that will test how good we are. Let's see where we are against Brentford away, Bristol, away and Norwich at home, it's three pretty tough games on paper."
Millwall manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio London:
"I think Blackburn are a really good side, I think they've got excellent forward players, the likes of Armstrong who's scored more goals than our entire team put together and I think that shows that at the minute he's a big difference for them.
"But I thought we handled them really well, apart form going a goal down which was an excellent finish by Elliott, but for us to respond with our own excellent finish from Scott Malone and I thought we played really well.
"We make one mistake in the 91st minute, which was a little bit stupid on our behalf, and we concede a goal."
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Kaminski
- 2Nyambe
- 26Lenihan
- 5Ayala
- 17Bell
- 16ElliottSubstituted forBuckleyat 74'minutes
- 4Johnson
- 10HoltbySubstituted forRothwellat 74'minutes
- 9GallagherSubstituted forDowningat 73'minutes
- 7ArmstrongSubstituted forTrybullat 90+3'minutes
- 20BreretonSubstituted forDolanat 57'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Downing
- 8Rothwell
- 11Chapman
- 13Pears
- 18Davenport
- 19Trybull
- 21Buckley
- 25Carter
- 39Dolan
Millwall
Formation 3-4-3
- 33Bialkowski
- 4Hutchinson
- 15Pearce
- 3M WallaceBooked at 64mins
- 12RomeoSubstituted forSkalakat 90+3'minutes
- 19WoodsSubstituted forSmithat 90+3'minutes
- 6WilliamsBooked at 19minsSubstituted forLeonardat 87'minutes
- 14Malone
- 7J Wallace
- 22BödvarssonSubstituted forThompsonat 78'minutes
- 25ParrottSubstituted forBradshawat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fielding
- 8Thompson
- 9Bradshaw
- 10Smith
- 11Ferguson
- 17Brown
- 18Leonard
- 26Skalak
- 32Burey
- Referee:
- Michael Salisbury
Match Stats
Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamMillwall
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home20
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away5
- Corners
- Home2
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Millwall 1.
Post update
Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Ryan Nyambe.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Post update
Foul by Bradley Johnson (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) header from very close range is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Alex Pearce.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Alex Pearce (Millwall) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Murray Wallace.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Tom Trybull replaces Adam Armstrong.
Substitution
Substitution, Millwall. Jiri Skalak replaces Mahlon Romeo.
Substitution
Substitution, Millwall. Matt Smith replaces Ryan Woods.
Post update
Foul by Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Goal!
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Millwall 1. Adam Armstrong (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Stewart Downing (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Rothwell.
Post update
Foul by Adam Armstrong (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Millwall. Ryan Leonard replaces Shaun Williams.
Post update
Foul by Joe Rothwell (Blackburn Rovers).
