Sunderland vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
Stadium of LightAttendance40,743.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Millwall at the Stadium of Light on Saturday | Ex-Black Cat Duncan Watmore returns to haunt his former employers with the winner
Saturday 20 April 2024 17:59, UK
Millwall effectively secured Sky Bet Championship football next season after former Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore's second-half strike at the Stadium of Light earned a 1-0 win.
In a game of few chances, Watmore, who had only been on the pitch four minutes, pounced to deliver the crucial goal that earned the Lions a third successive win.
Sunderland, however, saw their own winless run on home soil extended to six matches dating back to February 10.
The hosts threatened first and Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic had to get down low to hold a drive from teenager Chris Rigg after he danced his way through the visiting defence.
Bradley Dack then created a couple of openings for Dan Ballard with some pinpoint deliveries but neither found the target.
Jobe Bellingham headed over another corner kick when he looked like he could at least test the Sarkic, but Millwall survived.
The Lions were struggling to create anything until former Sunderland midfielder George Honeyman's set-piece was headed off target by Zian Flemming.
In a bid to improve things, Sunderland's interim boss Mike Dodds pushed Bellingham up front for the second half as part of the changes brought about by replacing Dack with Trai Hume.
And Hume, operating at right wing-back, had the first effort after the restart when he drove a couple of feet over Sarkic's bar from 22 yards.
In another attempt to lift the tempo by Dodds, Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche were brought on for the last half an hour.
Soon after that Sunderland thought they had the lead when Ryan Leonard somehow got in the way to block Callum Styles' goalbound effort from Ba's cross.
And in the 71st minute Millwall made the hosts pay when Ryan Longman's low cross from the right was met by substitute Watmore, who had darted ahead of his markers to flick inside Anthony Patterson's near post.
Bellingham almost deflected Brooke Norton-Cuffy's cross into his own net in stoppage time but Millwall had already done enough to secure a vital three points.
Sunderland's Mike Dodds:
"We knew the first goal would be important. We changed the shape slightly to have more attackers on the pitch.
"A by-product of that was Millwall waiting for one moment. They put so many bodies behind the ball and we knew that one moment would be so crucial. I'm angry because we emptied the middle of the pitch and they scored on transition.
"But we didn't work the goal enough either, we weren't clever enough or quick enough in the top third of the pitch. Those are the main frustrations.
"The top area of the pitch is where we are trying to find solutions, to try to be more of a threat.
"I've got two more games and it won't be solved in the next two games. I have tweaked, tinkered, tried to find solutions in that area, but it's obvious we need to do some work around.
"We will keep working with the group to find those solutions."
Millwall's Neil Harris:
"Both teams can be disappointed with how we handled it at times. It became a typical game of football in April.
"We came with a clean-sheet mentality. We wanted an attacking threat but the important thing was to have a clean sheet. We needed a moment to score a goal.
"I'm delighted for the players. We had resilience, desire, all the Millwall traits.
"I couldn't have envisaged being here in this position seven weeks ago when I took over. To win six games out of 11 is a great achievement to reach my demands.
"My job was to galvanise the football club. I did the first one and hopefully now we have done the second."
