Millwall suffered a third defeat in four Championship games as Oladapo Afolayan's double helped Blackburn Rovers to a 3-1 win at Ewood Park on Saturday, 12 September. The 29-year-old, who celebrated his birthday the day before, struck either side of Lyndon Dykes's 51st-minute penalty, before Andri Gudjohnsen added a third in stoppage time.
Morsy's space opens the door
Blackburn broke through in the 41st minute when Sam Morsy was afforded too much room just inside the box, teeing up Afolayan for the opener. Millwall had started the brighter side, with Balazs Toth needing to save Camiel Neghli's low volley in the eleventh minute, while Todd Cantwell's effort at the other end forced Max Crocombe into a stop.
Dykes penalty offers brief hope
Millwall levelled through Dykes after Gady Beyuku, on as a substitute, brought down Tairyk Arconte in the area, and the striker converted for his third goal of the season. Afolayan restored Blackburn's lead seven minutes later after a chance created by Tom Atcheson, and Jayden Fevrier then squared for Gudjohnsen to complete the scoring, his own third goal of the campaign.
Arconte was Millwall's biggest threat all afternoon. He had a goal ruled out for a foul in the melee following a long throw, saw Zak Sturge's low cross diverted wide, and was denied by a Hayden Carter deflection over the bar after turning Atcheson inside out in the 73rd minute. Mark Sykes also whipped in a cross that Dykes headed wide from close range.
Where it leaves both clubs
Sky Sports Football's coverage of the game noted the win ended a four-match winless run for Tony Mowbray's Blackburn, while Alex Neil's Millwall dropped to eighth in the Championship on 9 points from five games, with 10 goals scored and 8 conceded. Venky's out chants rang out from the home end before kickoff, a reminder of the unrest around Blackburn's ownership regardless of the scoreline.
Millwall now sit five points off leaders West Ham, and supporters can check the standings page to see how far the club has to climb. The squad Neil has to choose from is listed on our squad page, and the run of games ahead, starting with Middlesbrough away, is on our fixtures page. Millwall travel to Middlesbrough, currently sixth in the table, on Tuesday, 15 September.
