Millwall 0-2 Hull (0-2 aggregate): The Tigers become the first team to qualify for the Championship play-off final and will face either Southampton or Middlesbrough at Wembley.
Mohamed Bellomi gives Hull the lead at The Den (Image: Getty Images)
Mo Bellomi and Joe Gerhart came off the bench to send Hull City to Wembley as the Tigers tame Millwall at the Den. Bellomi, who replaced the injured Kyle Joseph just before half-time, surprised Alex Neil’s side by curling home after the home defense had switched off.
Millwall looked to equalize but were caught at the break with Joe Gerhart doubling Hull’s lead with 11 minutes remaining. Sergei Yakirović’s side are 90 minutes away from returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
The first leg at the MKM Stadium ended goalless, but goalmouth action produced little in the early stages in London. Millwall took some time to get going, but they started turning the screw just before the 20-minute mark.
Immediately after converting a superb volley, Camiel Negri troubled visiting keeper Ivor Pandur with a deep cross.
The ball fell to Tierno Baro, who hooked it towards goal, but Kyle Joseph cleared it on the line. Hull’s early approach was to play the ball in from the outside and they almost gave them the lead 10 minutes after half-time when Ryan Giles’ pinpoint cross was headed in by Oli McBurnie.
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However, home keeper Anthony Patterson, who had not been much tested up to that point, stood up brilliantly to turn the ball over.
McBurnie went close again just two minutes after the restart, breaking into the six-yard box in the second half after Regan Slater found space inside the right channel.
He must have thought his efforts were destined to go to the back of the net, only for Tristan Krama to appear out of nowhere to get in the way.
Millwall manager turned to the bench and brought on Mihailo Ivanovic, suggesting manager Alex Neil was looking to take the game to his opponents. But their adventurous approach created a gap. Hull missed the lively Joseph, who limped off at the end of the first half and their place in the finals will be in jeopardy.
Bellomi, a substitute, took some time to get into the game, but he made up for it in style by breaking the deadlock. Left-back Alfie Doughty had just come off the bench as a substitute for Millwall, but could not get close enough to the Algerian, who was given time and space and was able to curl into the far corner.
Joe Gerhart rubber stamps Hull’s place in the play-off final (Image: Getty Images)
The lead could have easily been two points midway through the second half when Barry Bannan’s loose pass was intercepted. Slater looked ready to take his position, but Jake Cooper came back just in time to deflect the ball behind him.
Ivanovic had a great chance to make the block, but was unable to convert the header and perhaps the hosts were starting to fear time was running out. And it was one of Hull’s submarines that delivered the hammer blow.
Joe Gerhart had been on the pitch for less than a minute when he set up a quick counter-attack, sending a low drive through the hands of Patterson and breaking Millwall’s hearts.
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