Substitute Rhys Healey was the Huddersfield hero as his stoppage-time goal was enough to secure a dramatic and potentially priceless 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Millwall.

Healey pounced to head home from close range after Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic could only parry Matty Pearson’s effort into his path.

The three points lift the Terriers out of the Championship drop zone.

Millwall, meanwhile, are now just two points clear of the relegation places, and will still be looking over their shoulders after a fourth match without a win.

The Terriers almost struck inside two minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Some excellent work from Sorba Thomas paved the way through for Delano Burgzorg, but the Dutchman’s firm strike was excellently saved by Sarkic.

There was a swift response from Millwall, however.

Billy Mitchell pounced on a loose ball before seeing his shot saved confidently by Lee Nicholls.

The Lions threatened again when George Honeyman rose well to meet Ryan Longman’s cross, only to then direct a header off-target.

There was plenty of enterprise and endeavour in what proved to be an entertaining opening spell, and that despite a swirling wind.

Huddersfield were next to go close when Thomas’ delivery was flicked wide at the near post by Bojan Radulovic.

With Millwall now pressing for an opener, Michael Obafemi almost struck when his acrobatic effort was deflected behind for a corner by midfielder Alex Matos.

Jake Cooper then ought to have registered for the visitors, but he planted a golden headed chance over the crossbar from close range.

As half-time approached the pendulum was beginning to swing back Huddersfield’s way.

Thomas’ 25-yard blockbuster was saved by Sarkic, while Josh Koroma also fired inches over the top with his effort from the edge of the box.

There was a frantic start to the second period.

After a Millwall attack at one end, the Terriers broke quickly.

Radulovic found space and pulled the ball back into the path of Koroma, but he could not find the target from a great position.

David Kasumu then missed another decent opportunity as he fired wide following a tidy one-two with the impressive Koroma.

Back came Neil Harris’ Millwall in this end-to-end clash, with Ryan Leonard lashing over the top when he ought to have done better with options around him.

As the 70-minute mark passed, both sides then appeared to run out of steam, with tired bodies and heavy legs clearly evident.

Huddersfield’s Polish defender Michal Helik threw himself at a cross from Brodie Spencer, but he was thwarted by a last-ditch block.

After that, Huddersfield sub Healey went close to notching a winner, before then pouncing to finally do the business in predatory style right at the death.

John Swift’s penalty rescued a point for play-off chasing West Brom as they extended their unbeaten run to seven league games with a 1-1 draw at Millwall.

The Lions controlled the first half and were a goal ahead at the break after a fine finish from Duncan Watmore.

However, Swift converted a penalty to ensure the Baggies sealed a seventh game unbeaten in all competitions for the first time since their 2019/20 Championship campaign.

A lively pre-match atmosphere intensified ahead of kick-off as West Brom’s players took the knee to a chorus of boos from the home fans.

The Den got even louder when referee James Bell waved away appeals for handball after Kyle Bartley blocked George Honeyman’s cross inside the box.

Zian Flemming won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 17th minute having surged straight through the Baggies’ defence. However, his driven effort from the resulting set-piece deflected behind for a corner.

The pressure finally told four minutes later when Watmore pounced on a loose ball before calmly stroking it past Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer to give the hosts the lead.

Carlos Corberan’s side were struggling to deal with Millwall’s direct approach and it should have been 2-0 when Michael Obafemi went through on goal from a long ball but his effort was straight at Palmer.

Watmore almost turned provider with 10 minutes left of the half, orchestrating some neat play on the edge of the box before feeding Billy Mitchell, who fired wide from close range.

The visitors finally got on the front foot as the half drew to a close but former Millwall favourite Jed Wallace scuffed his shot after being picked out by Grady Diangana.

Corberan’s side maintained that pressure at the start of the second half, whipping several dangerous balls into the box and controlling possession.

Watmore missed a golden opportunity to give his side a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute, blasting the ball over the bar from the centre of the box.

Obafemi was fouled just outside the area as the Lions appeared to retake control of the clash and moments later Honeyman forced a desperate block from Conor Townsend.

However, Millwall were made to pay for missed opportunities in the 67th minute when Diangana appeared to be tripped by Joe Bryan inside the penalty area.

Bell pointed to the penalty spot and Swift made no mistake, firing the ball into the bottom-left corner.

The Baggies were almost ahead moments later after Alex Mowatt was picked out on the edge of the box by Tom Fellows but his strike did not trouble Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic.

Neither side created a clear-cut chance during a quiet end to a fiery encounter in South London.

Tottenham loanee Japhet Tanganga is turning himself into a hero under Millwall manager Neil Harris after his late header snatched a crucial victory over fellow Sky Bet Championship strugglers Birmingham.

It was a second goal in Lions colours for Tanganga, 24, who scored the first goal of his senior career in Harris’ first game back in charge at Southampton two weeks ago.

Millwall have now won three of their four games under Harris, who has quickly turned around their form to open up a five-point gap between them and the relegation zone.

Harris said: “Japh’s got great pedigree, he’s got a great CV in terms of games at the top level and playing in Europe, and things like that.

“It’s slightly different here for a centre-half and sometimes you have to be a different player here, and the reason I’m at the football club is to try and teach the players what a Millwall player looks like, whether that’s a goalkeeper or a centre-half or a centre-forward.

“All I said to Japh was – not complicated his game – just to make your decisions and I’ll support you, but you can be as aggressive as you like.

“A couple of his tackles were a little bit dubious here against Watford and away at Southampton in the first five minutes, but he shows that he’s buying into it.

“Ultimately, he’s headed the ball a lot (in both boxes) and to be a good Millwall centre-half you have to do that.”

Millwall started the better side, with Birmingham goalkeeper John Ruddy having to make good saves to deny George Honeyman and Jake Cooper in the first 20 minutes.

Jay Stansfield was then denied by Matija Sarkic just before half-time and hit a great chance wide early in the second half.

He then felt he should have been awarded a penalty after 63 minutes when Millwall’s Joe Bryan appeared to hold him back from Juninho Bacuna’s corner.

The Lions wildly celebrated when their winner came in the 90th minute as Tanganga rose to head in George Saville’s corner.

Birmingham remain only one point above the bottom three and caretaker boss Mark Venus has just one point from four games since taking the reins after manager Tony Mowbray temporarily stepped aside for medical reasons.

Venus, whose side could drop below third-from-bottom Huddersfield if they beat West Brom on Sunday, said on the Blues’ penalty shout: “I don’t want to sit here and pick holes in officials.

“They are what they are in this country and I’m sure everyone has their own opinion of them.

“Everyone has their own opinion of what happened, the incident, and they can make their own mind up.

“I think in the second half we got on top.

“I think in the first half we were too timid, we didn’t influence, we didn’t hurt their goal enough and I think in the second half we had a lot more purpose, more intensity.

“We took the game to them and we had some opportunities to hit the target, to score, to shoot, and we squandered them, really.

“I think they’ve got the stomach for the fight – they showed that in the second half.

“I think they just have to learn to do the basics a bit better and learn to make the right decisions.”

Japhet Tanganga headed in a 90th-minute winner as Millwall snatched a vital 1-0 victory over fellow Sky Bet Championship strugglers Birmingham.

The Lions have won three of their four games since Neil Harris returned to the club for a second spell as manager, although they had to withstand some heavy pressure from the Blues in the second half at The Den.

But a dogged display was eventually rewarded as Millwall opened up a five-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone and left Birmingham still just one point above the bottom three.

Millwall had the game’s first big chance in the 11th minute when George Honeyman played a one-two with Duncan Watmore to go through on goal, but his attempted dinked finish was blocked by John Ruddy.

It came in the middle of a good spell for the Lions, with the Birmingham goalkeeper and captain again coming to his side’s rescue when he clawed away an effort from opposing skipper Jake Cooper.

Ruddy was fortunate, however, when he was beaten to the ball, following a ricochet off Michael Obafemi, by Watmore whose header dropped comfortably wide.

Another Birmingham header then went unpunished when a loose headed clearance by Marc Roberts dropped for Zian Flemming, who could only shoot tamely at Ruddy from outside the area.

It took the Blues 41 minutes to muster a chance of their own when Koji Miyoshi’s through ball played in Jay Stansfield and his shot from a tricky angle needed tipping away by Matija Sarkic.

Another opening for the visitors quickly followed when Alex Pritchard sent an effort wide from just outside the box as neither team could break the deadlock before half-time.

Having finally played themselves into the game towards the end of the first half, it was Birmingham who had the first opening after the restart as Lee Buchanan sent a rising shot wide.

Another good opportunity for Stansfield then came and went when he shot wide from inside the area after his initial shot from Juninho Bacuna’s cross had been blocked.

The Blues were then left furious when they weren’t awarded a penalty in the 63rd minute when Stansfield appeared to be held back from Bacuna’s corner by Millwall’s Joe Bryan.

The visitors continued to dominate the second-half proceedings, with Stansfield shooting off-target again from a presentable shooting position.

From nowhere, Millwall found a second wind and finally had another chance of their own when Flemming’s long throw ran for George Saville, who headed over with 15 minutes remaining.

Just when it looked as though the match would end in stalemate, the Lions snatched all three points when Tanganga rose to head in Saville’s corner and spark wild celebrations from the home supporters.

Blackburn boss John Eustace praised his side’s fighting spirit after a second-half strike from Sammie Szmodics salvaged a 1-1 Championship draw against Millwall at Ewood Park.

The result left Eustace still searching for his first win as Rovers boss but he found plenty to be positive about after the hosts hit back from Michael Obafemi’s shock 53rd-minute opener.

“It wasn’t a classic but again the lads have shown fantastic character and togetherness, to come from a goal behind against a difficult opponent,” said Eustace.

“I was pleased with the reaction. We dominated possession without really testing their keeper, but we worked hard and stuck together and it was a good point in the end.

“The boys since I’ve come in have been fantastic. We’re playing players who have come back from long injuries and they are running through brick walls for us. They are leggy and tired but they are fully committed to the cause.”

The point left Rovers in the thick of the relegation fight and the frustration was evident among some sections of the home support at the final whistle.

Szmodics proved a threat throughout but clear-cut chances were few and far between and Yasin Ayari’s speculative long-range effort in injury time summed up Rovers’ overall lack of threat.

Eustace added: “We have to show more belief in the final third but we are showing the right signs and with 10 games to go, it’s about not losing and getting the right result.

“There’s a lot of teams from around 10th spot down that can be involved in the relegation fight and it’s just vital we keep believing in what we’re doing.”

Millwall boss Neil Harris was satisfied with a point that extended his unbeaten run – since replacing Joe Edwards last month – to three games.

And Harris was particularly pleased with Obafemi who came off the bench to grab his first goal since signing his loan deal from Rovers’ Lancashire rivals Burnley.

Obafemi has struggled with fitness and illness since moving to The Den and Harris said: “I’m delighted for Mike.

“It was too risky to start him tonight because he’s our only fit striker coming back from injury, but I was really pleased with his performance.

“We’re really pleased with the points total of seven from three games. The glass is definitely half full and there are lots of positives that I’ve learned today.”

Harris insisted he would not attach any blame to Danny McNamara, whose blunder at the back allowed Szmodics in to sweep home Rovers’ equaliser.

Left-back McNamara has been one of the stand-out performers under Harris and the head coach said: “When you get your noses in front in a scrappy game at this stage of the season, you need to see the game out.

“Danny is disappointed but he will stand up and take responsibility and there were other things we didn’t do well in the build-up to the goal, so there is no individual blame culture.

“The big thing for me is that we came off tonight and we gave a really poor goal away but the players all mentioned that it was a really good point for us tonight.”

Sammie Szmodics salvaged a point for Blackburn but his 20th Championship goal of the season could not disguise the home side’s frustration after a tough 1-1 draw with Millwall at Ewood Park.

Szmodics pounced on a defensive error to fire home just past the hour mark, 10 minutes after Millwall substitute Michael Obafemi had lashed the Lions in front.

But the result extended Rovers’ dismal streak to just one win in 15 league games and leaves John Eustace still searching for his first victory in charge.

In contrast, Millwall’s point stretched their unbeaten run under Neil Harris to three matches and they will arguably have been the happier, despite the careless manner in which they tossed away over an hour of sterling defensive work.

Revitalised under the charge of their all-time record goalscorer, the visitors had the best chance of a first half that was almost devoid of incident, Ziam Flemming shooting into the side-netting from a tight angle after George Saville’s corner.

It was the only chance of any kind mustered in the first half by Harris’ men, who seemed happy to sit back and squeeze the momentum out of the home side, with Japhet Tanganga in particular outstanding at the back.

The Lions’ tactics could largely be said to have worked if the scattered boos that greeted the hosts at the half-time whistle was anything to go by.

Szmodics could do nothing with an effort from a tight angle after being put through by Tyrhys Dolan, then Szmodics returned the favour but his team-mate was caught offside.

The busy Dolan tried his luck from long range but his effort was blocked by Tanganga, who was also central to hacking away a dangerous Dom Hyam free-kick, before Flemming had his chance at the other end, just before the half-hour mark.

Jake Cooper denied Szmodics a shooting chance with an excellent interception, then Ryan Longman’s gutsy counter-attack trickled out to neatly sum up a forgettable first period.

Obafemi needed less than eight minutes to make an impression, tenaciously winning Billy Mitchell’s fine cross into the box and capitalising on poor Rovers defending to turn and fire a rising shot past home goalkeeper Leo Wahlstedt.

Amid evident frustration among the home fans, Rovers responded well, Szmodics forcing a save from Matija Sarkic before a desperate blunder from Millwall’s Danny McNamara led to their 63rd-minute equaliser.

The full-back failed to spot Rovers substitute Amor Sigurdsson when playing a square ball and the Iceland striker, who had only been on the field for two minutes, served Szmodics to sweep the leveller past Sarkic.

The excellent Tanganga headed away a dangerous cross under pressure from Szmodics, while Yasin Ayari’s long-range effort deep into injury time was palmed away by Sarkic as Millwall held on.

Neil Harris hailed his Millwall players for displaying the passion he believes the club is built on as they edged past Watford 1-0.

Harris left Cambridge at the end of February to return to The Den for his second spell in charge, and has since steered the Lions to back-to-back wins to keep them above the relegation zone.

Earlier in the week, Harris had spoken about “bringing the Millwall-ness back” to the club, and he felt he saw glimpses of that as Zian Flemming’s early free-kick sealed the three points.

“The football club belongs to the fanbase, so what do they want to see from their team?” said Harris.

“Well, the good teams I’ve played in and the good teams I’ve managed they had heart, they had character, they had passion, desire.

“We could challenge, we could run and we had some ability as well, and that’s all the fans want to see.

“It’s my job to teach this group of players what a Millwall team looks like and today, we had it in so many ways. We didn’t take care of the ball well enough at times, we lacked a little bit of confidence and belief here at The Den that we showed at Southampton with the ball.

“So, that’s something that we’ve got to drip feed into the players, but as in spirit and character and atmosphere in the stadium, that was really, really positive.”

The good feeling was sparked just three minutes in when Flemming’s deflected free-kick found the bottom corner despite Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer getting hands to it.

Hamer was almost left red-faced for a second time when he allowed a long ball to drift past him, but he breathed a sigh of relief when Duncan Watmore’s effort from a narrow angle hit the post.

The Hornets had more possession in a second half sorely lacking in quality, but a long-range shot over by Ismael Kone and a simple save by Matija Sarkic from Jake Livermore was the best they
could muster.

It meant a fifth defeat in six league games that drew an angry reaction from their supporters after the final whistle and left the visitors in danger of being dragged into the scramble for survival.

Watford boss Valerien Ismael said: “I think throughout the 90 minutes we were not intimidated by the environment and that we were solid.

“We raised the performance from last week, we were unlucky from a deflected free-kick, we were one goal down.

“The only thing we said was just to stand the first 15-20 minutes, the most powerful energy from the game will be there, with the win last week, with the new manager.

“We were prepared for that but, unfortunately, we conceded exactly the goal there, but after that I didn’t think Millwall had the chance to score.

“We were under control, we were focused on ourselves and the performance in this kind of away game was good, but it doesn’t help us a lot at the moment.

“We need to win games, especially in this period of the season, and when you come on a run like this, it makes it difficult for the players.”

Zian Flemming’s early free-kick was enough for Millwall to defeat Watford 1-0 at The Den and make it two wins from two since manager Neil Harris’ return to the club.

With several of their fellow strugglers also picking up results, coming away with maximum points was imperative for the Lions as it keeps them one point clear of the Championship relegation zone.

Watford are six points clear of trouble, but after their fifth defeat in six games their form is leaving them in danger of being dragged into the increasingly congested battle against the drop.

Millwall were ahead after just three minutes when Flemming’s deflected free-kick from over 25 yards out found the bottom corner, with Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer getting hands to it but unable to keep it out.

The visitors had a quick chance to equalise when some sloppy marking from a throw-in led to Vakoun Bayo firing a shot into the side netting.

Hamer was having an uncomfortable afternoon and almost cost the Hornets for a second time when he allowed a long ball to drift past him, but he was bailed out by Duncan Watmore’s effort from an acute angle striking the post.

Matija Sarkic was tested for the first time at the other end when the Montenegro international got down to keep hold of Yaser Asprilla’s shot.

Captain Wesley Hoedt then bent a free-kick just over for Watford, who remained behind at the break after an error-strewn first-half performance.

Needlessly giving passes away was something that also afflicted Millwall in the opening stages of the second half, leading to what was an untidy period in the game.

The Hornets forged a half-chance in the 57th minute when Jamal Lewis drove a low ball from the left that Bayo could not direct on target after attacking the near post.

Both attacks were feeding off scraps, with Millwall’s Michael Obafemi forced to improvise from a Ryan Leonard long throw as he sent an overhead kick over the bar.

Ismael Kone was brought on by Hornets boss Valerien Ismael alongside Ryan Andrews, and the former sent a long-range effort over with 15 minutes left, with his side still searching for some fluency in attack.

They were at least pushing Millwall further back, although Jake Livermore’s effort from outside the box was easily dealt with by Sarkic.

That was as close as Watford came to forcing an equaliser, despite their late pressure, as the hosts picked up three more vital points.

Joe Edwards admitted Millwall are in the Championship relegation battle after a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at The Den.

The Owls were two goals ahead at half-time after a delightful display from Dutch winger Anthony Musaba, who set up Canada international Ike Ugbo before finding the back of the net himself with a composed finish past Matija Sarkic.

The hosts were on the front foot for much of the second half, with Wednesday replacement Ashley Fletcher seeing red for two bookable offences.

However, Edwards’ side are now just one point above the relegation zone in 21st following their fourth consecutive defeat and eighth match without a win.

He said: “Southampton will be a tough game and not to declare an official relegation fight, but we are clearly down that part of the league.

“We are creeping towards that part of the season where it is important we get points on the board.

“Having been there and lived it before, there is no point really getting drawn into playing the fixtures predictions game.

“You never know, we will go to Southampton with absolute belief.

“And who knows, a game like today – which is a should-win in many people’s eyes – maybe the pressure got to us a bit and it ends up being a difficult day, but that could be the turning point.

“That is what football is about, we are not going there to roll over and wait for the next game, we have to go there and find some belief through what is a really really tough period.

“The only way is back in on Monday, stick together, stand up and go and face what is a really tough challenge on Saturday and beyond.”

The result was a huge boost to Wednesday’s survival hopes.

They remain in 23rd but are now just four points away from safety with 13 games to go this season, and manager Danny Rohl was delighted with a win on the road.

He said: “It was a difficult one, we know that coming here is not easy. When I looked at the game against Ipswich, the first 15 minutes I thought Millwall were very strong.

“I think that was the key today, we spoke about making the difference between home and away, I think at home we have had a lot of good performances and good results.

“It was a clear message today, make the difference in every duel and win the second ball.

“I think the two goals we scored were exactly what we wanted, to find the two number 10s and then speed up the game.

“It was great – I would describe today as adult football, if you know what I mean?

“The last few weeks we have spoken about performance away. Today was about taking results, we did well as a team and showed as a team what we have to do in our situation.”

Anthony Musaba scored one goal and made another as Sheffield Wednesday extended Millwall’s winless run to eight matches with a 2-0 victory at The Den.

The Owls had only scored seven away goals all season ahead of the crucial clash, but they were in front at the break after Musaba set up Ike Ugbo before finding the back of the net himself.

The Lions fought desperately during an improved second-half performance but failed to carve out many clear-cut chances on their way to their fourth consecutive defeat and seventh in that eight-game run.

The hosts started brightly as they looked to bounce back from their crushing defeat at the hands of Ipswich, Tom Bradshaw heading wide from the centre of the penalty area inside five minutes.

The crowd came alive after a crunching challenge from right wing-back Danny McNamara.

The Owls struggled to build momentum during the opening 20 minutes, with their only real threat coming from balls in behind to Troyes loanee Ugbo.

However, in the 31st minute, the Canada international tapped home from close range to give his side the lead following a sensational run and cross from Musaba.

Ryan Leonard produced a long-range shot from the edge of the box as the Lions tried to muster a response but things soon went from bad to worse for Joe Edwards’ side.

Wednesday stalwart Barry Bannan found Musaba with a delicious pass and the Dutch winger made no mistake, stroking the ball past Matija Sarkic and into the bottom right corner for his sixth goal of the season.

That sparked jubilant scenes in the away end, while Millwall’s players faced a chorus of boos at the half-time whistle.

Zian Flemming almost got his side back in the game after the break, forcing an excellent stop from James Beadle before getting on the end of the resulting corner.

Then the Lions’ top scorer won a free-kick on the edge of the box, only to see it rebound off the wall and away to safety.

The hosts almost reduced the deficit to one in the 63rd minute but Duncan Watmore’s driven effort was cleared off the line by Di’Shon Bernard.

Flemming had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Geoff Eltringham with 20 minutes left after a collision with Marvin Johnson inside the penalty area.

Then seven minutes later, Aidomo Emakhu beat his man before conjuring a driven delivery across goal that ultimately came to nothing.

The hosts deserved something for their efforts in the second half but nobody could get on the end of Ryan Longman’s fantastic cross after some nice work from Flemming in the build-up.

Wednesday’s Ashley Fletcher was shown a red card for a second bookable offence in stoppage time, but it made no difference as Millwall slipped within a point of the relegation zone.

Ipswich moved to within three points of the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion places as they returned to winning ways by thrashing struggling Millwall 4-0.

Kieran McKenna’s early season challengers had won just one in nine league games but survived a slow start to run out deserved victors at The Den.

Nathan Broadhead scored one and made another in the first half while in-form Bournemouth loanee Kieffer Moore headed home and Ali Al-Hamadi converted a stoppage-time penalty as Ipswich eased to just a second league win of the calendar year.

Despite their drop-off in form, McKenna’s side lost just twice in that run and the former Manchester United assistant will be hoping this result heralds a return to form – with a trip to Swansea next up on Saturday.

Millwall started the better of the two sides and the recalled Ryan Leonard hammered an effort over the crossbar after an early corner was cleared to the edge of the Ipswich box.

The home side showed four changes from their loss at Coventry and another returnee came close on four minutes as George Saville’s drive was saved by Vaclav Hladky.

With the hosts on top, Tom Bradshaw should have done better as the Lions countered an Ipswich corner but the ball got caught under his feet and Harrison Clarke got back to clear.

Hladky was forced into action again to save low from Leonard as Millwall maintained their head of steam.

But despite their dominance, Joe Edwards’ men fell behind at the midway point of the first half with Broadhead’s accurate back-header from Omari Hutchinson’s cross putting Ipswich ahead against the run of play.

The lead was doubled soon after as Harding inadvertently turned Broadhead’s low cross into his own goal.

The points were all-but secured on the stroke of half-time, Moore heading into the ground and over Sarkic for his third goal in as many games.

The second half was a much more even affair as Millwall matched their visitors, who had taken their foot off the gas.

Still, though, the home side could not find a way to beat Hladky, the former Salford keeper going largely untested after the interval other than preventing a Bradshaw consolation.

Ipswich could have extended their advantage as Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin had decent chances before referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot for a Murray Wallace foul on substitute Al-Hamadi. The January signing from AFC Wimbledon dusted himself down to score his first goal for his new club.

While Ipswich continue to look up, Edwards has now seen his side take just one point from their last six league games and – with Stoke and Huddersfield both winning – they have dropped to 21st in the table.

Hull boss Liam Rosenior admitted he felt nervous before the 1-0 Sky Bet Championship win over Millwall.

There was a feelgood factor around the club after a successful transfer window saw the likes of Fabio Carvalho, Ryan Giles and Anass Zaroury arrive at the MKM Stadium.

Rosenior was keen to keep momentum going and the Tigers did just that, securing a second consecutive victory courtesy of fit-again winger Jaden Philogene’s fifth-minute strike.

“It was a really pleasing day because I was fearful before the game that there had been so much positive news surrounding the club,” Rosenior told the club’s official website.

“As a manager, sometimes, that makes you a little bit nervous; I didn’t want us to be complacent and all of the noise we needed to filter out.

“Some of our football in the first half was excellent and it’s great to be able to say we can improve after winning a game of football.”

Rosenior handed Giles and Zaroury their debuts following their loan moves from Luton and Burnley respectively.

“In terms of the first-half performance, other than really having teeth and finishing off Millwall, there were some really good signs – for Anass, his first game, Ryan Giles, his debut, and Jaden’s first game back in two months,” he added.

“I wanted the second goal because I felt our energy levels would tail off naturally.

“Overall, delighted to win the game and a lot of positive signs in the way we want to play – the understanding, the connection between the players.”

Millwall improved after the break and Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw almost nicked a point.

Lions boss Joe Edwards bemoaned his side’s first-half display.

Edwards told the club’s official website: “Very much a game of two halves in terms of our performance. We didn’t play well in the first half.

“They get a dream start after four minutes, albeit a sloppy error from us around the box, but someone hits an absolute rocket against the bar and it rebounds to their player and he finishes really well.

“They really grew in confidence and they are a team that loves to drift around the pitch and play good possession.

“They are a good footballing team. That is why they are up that end of the division, and we respect that.

“But we had our moments to take the sting out the game, as we have done in other games in recent weeks, but we didn’t do it and we were a bit sloppy.

“Second half we were a lot sharper in what we were doing, we were cleaner on the ball.

“In that final 20 minutes we were a lot clearer of what our idea was supposed to be, using our wing-back and switching play, and we had more about us.”

Goals from Ilias Chair and Sinclair Armstrong gave relegation-threatened QPR a vital 2-0 win over Millwall at Loftus Road.

It was Rangers’ first victory in eight Sky Bet Championship matches and lifted them up a place, to third from bottom.

And it means they will move level on points with Huddersfield, the team immediately above them in the table, if they beat the Terriers in another crucial game next weekend.

In a feisty London derby, both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances before Chair put Rangers ahead in the 27th minute with his third goal of the season.

Lyndon Dykes, usually a striker but currently operating in a withdrawn role, played a big part in the build-up.

Dykes controlled the ball nicely and laid it to the right to Chris Willock, who turned away from Joe Bryan and delivered a left-footed cross to the far post, where Chair bundled home from close range after getting in front of Millwall’s on-loan Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy.

QPR continued to threaten after the goal and Willock fired over – again after turning away from Bryan – before Dykes’ side-footed effort flashed narrowly wide.

Millwall’s first real sight of goal came a couple of minutes before half-time, when Billy Mitchell sent a first-time strike over the bar after being found by Zian Flemming’s cross from the left.

Rangers were back on the front foot after the interval, with Dykes heading wide from Willock’s cross and then testing keeper Matija Sarkic with a low shot which was well saved.

And the hosts appealed in vain for a penalty when Wes Harding blocked Dykes’ shot with his hands.

Rangers then had a let-off of their own when keeper Asmir Begovic allowed Mitchell’s shot to squirm through his legs and was rescued by Reggie Cannon’s clearance off the line.

Cannon took a heavy knock in the process and as he lay on the ground the defender appeared to be struck by a number of objects thrown from the away fans’ section of the ground.

That was the closest Millwall came to an equaliser – and there was no way back for them after Armstrong’s 85th-minute goal.

Chair teed up Jack Colback and, after Sarkic failed to hold the veteran midfielder’s left-footed shot, Armstrong was on hand to tuck away the loose ball.

Millwall, who recently won three matches in a row under new boss Joe Edwards, have now suffered back-to-back defeats.

Michael Carrick admitted Middlesbrough’s bench made the difference after they came from a goal behind beat Millwall 3-1 at The Den in the Sky Bet Championship.

Carrick’s Boro were on a high after Tuesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg victory over Chelsea and rounded off an impressive week with victory over another London side.

Joe Bryan opened the scoring for the hosts before strikes from Lukas Engel, Isaiah Jones and substitute Marcus Forss turned things around.

Matt Crooks also came off the bench to have a positive impact in the second half.

Carrick said: “We knew it was going to be a challenge but we found our way the longer the game went, I’m delighted for the boys.

“We showed good spirit and quality and the bench made the difference for us, which we missed for a period of time.

“I thought the squad felt strong today and it can get stronger. We have a good group.

“Marcus (Forss) has worked hard for a period of time now and it’s a big goal for him and for us.”

Millwall struggled to replicate their dominant first half display and lost their way in the second 45.

Manager Joe Edwards highlighted his team’s injuries and agreed that Boro’s squad depth played a part on the day.

He added: “We felt that today (Boro’s depth). I’ve felt it in other games as well.

“I remember being stood down there when we were hanging on to a 1-0 lead against Norwich and when I saw the subs they were bringing on I thought ‘wow, that’s some impact and it will now get harder in the final 20 to 30 minutes.’

“That’s something I felt today.

“There’s a group of around seven of our players in their tracksuits today who are unable to play and that hurts us.”

Edwards struggled to hide his disappointment after the Lions failed to make it four successive league wins.

He said: “It’s disappointing. The goals they scored were soft and the bottom line is if you are playing a team at that level and dominate as much as we did in the first half an hour we needed to cash in and get that second goal.”

Middlesbrough conceded early but battled back strongly to win 3-1 win at Millwall in the Sky Bet Championship.

Michael Carrick’s Reds, who beat Premier League Chelsea in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, claimed another London scalp on Saturday.

Joe Bryan opened the scoring for the home side at The Den but goals from Lukas Engel, Isaiah Jones and Marcus Forss turned things around in favour of the Teessiders.

Millwall took a deserved 10th-minute lead, as the visitors cracked under early pressure.

Ryan Longman’s cross was cleared but only into the path of Bryan, who guided his effort into the bottom right corner from outside the box.

The Lions came close to doubling their lead five minutes later. Bryan turned creator and whipped a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, with centre-back Jake Cooper’s first-time effort clipping the bar.

Boro spent large parts of the first half on the back foot but they managed to break forward and equalise seven minutes before the interval.

Jones, whose positive form carried on after his impressive display against Chelsea, threaded a pass to Sam Greenwood. The on-loan Leeds player found the Engel with a low cross and the unmarked Dane levelled with a  close-range finish.

The visitors took the lead in the 58th minute after Bryan misjudged heading a high ball, with pacey former Tooting & Mitcham player Jones advancing and coolly finished past Matija Sarkic.

Millwall sought a way back into the game but failed to replicate their dominance of the early stages and played slow passes around the back, much to the frustration of animated manager Joe Edwards.

The visitors turned the screw and looked the most likely to score again.

Substitute Matt Crooks showed quick feet, turning his man in midfield before unleashing debutant Luke Ayling down the right.

The former Leeds right-back produced an excellent pass for Morgan Rogers,  who failed to connect properly.

However, the points were sealed in added time when Forss scored as the visitors moved into the top half.