Bristol City keep play-off hopes alive with victory at Millwall 

Famara Diedhiou - Bristol City keep play-off hopes alive with victory at Millwall 
Famara Diedhiou (left) reels away in celebration after scoring Bristol City's late winner Credit: Action Images

Millwall 1 Bristol City 2

Bristol City’s hopes of claiming a play-off place are still alive after Famara Diedhiou’s goal completed a late recovery that shifts the pressure on to Derby County ahead of their visit to Swansea City on Wednesday night.

Needing to win both of their remaining games to maintain their chance of finishing in the top six, City’s prospects appeared to have gone when Millwall, leading through Lee Gregory’s 41st-minute effort, were awarded a 73rd-minute penalty after Gregory had been brought down by Max O’Leary. The goalkeeper redeemed himself by saving Shaun Williams’s effort, prompting City’s revival. Jamie ­Paterson equalised with a free-kick three minutes later before Diedhiou struck in the 81st minute.

Victory for Derby will extinguish their hopes, but Lee Johnson, the City manager, insisted his side could not have done more. “It was Roy of the Rovers stuff to save that penalty and be as good as we were,” he said. 

“The pressure is on Derby. They’ll have been watching the game and they will have gone ‘oh no’. If we can take it to the last day then it becomes a lottery and we will try our best. I don’t know whether to follow the Derby game. I might have a general anaesthetic and get someone to tell me when it’s all over!”

Match details

Millwall (4-4-2): Martin; Romeo, Cooper, Pearce, Meredith (McLaughlin 77); Tunnicliffe, Leonard, Williams (Elliott 87), Ferguson; Gregory, Morison.
Subs: Amos (g), Skalak, Debrah, Mitchell, Alexander.
Bristol City (4-2-3-1): O’Leary; Hunt (Pisano 30, Taylor 62), Kalas, Webster, Kelly; Walsh (Palmer 46), Pack; Weimann, Paterson, Brownhill; Diedhiou.
Subs: Dasilva, Wright, Eliasson, Eisa.
Booked: Walsh, Brownhill, Palmer.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).

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