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A lacklustre Huddersfield Town performance saw Millwall run out 2-0 winners in the play-off semi-final 2nd leg at a hostile New Den.
A goal in either half from Millwall striker Steve Morison and skipper Paul Robinson sent Millwall into the final a week on Saturday against Swindon Town at Wembley. Town lacked creativity and rarely tested the Millwall keeper through both games, boss Lee Clark was unhappy with the performance but praised the players for their efforts over the season and Chairman Dean Hoyle has promised funds to challenge next season.

The referee Mr Tony Bates might as well have put on a Millwall shirt on, throughout the game he gave little to Town and when he did there were ironic cheers from the travelling Town fans who made the trip to the capital.

One change was made from the 1st leg at the Galpharm, Robbie Williams came in at left-back with Lee Peltier moving to his usual right-back position due to the injury to Tom Clarke on Saturday. Jim Goodwin was given a place on the bench.
Former Town winger Danny Schofield was back in the starting line-up for Millwall after missing the 1st leg due to injury.

As soon as the game kicked off Town were on the back foot. Robinson headed wide from a Neil Harris cross and Town keeper Alex Smithies held on to Morison's effort from a Scott Barron free-kick. Town's first real attack was on 11 minutes when defender Neal Trotman headed wide from an Anthony Pilkington cross.

Smithies was soon again in action four minutes later, Lions midfielder Jimmy Abdou hit a 20-yard drive which deflected off a Town defender but Smithies got down well to tip wide.

Abdou was again in the thick of it when Lee Novak's long range shot deflected off the midfielder and forced Milwall keeper David Forde to tip wide for a Town corner. Forde had to be alert on 22 minutes when Danny Drinkwater's blocked shot fell to Novak who forced Forde to parry the ball.

But when it looked like maybe Town were slowly getting into the game Millwall delivered the sucker punch. Just a minute after Forde parried Novak's attempted, Tony Craig pumped a long ball forward which found Schofield after Williams had misjudged the flight of the ball, Schofield's low cross was palmed away by Smithies but it fell kindly for Morison who tapped in for his 23rd of the season. The cross should have been dealt with as Town had three defenders in the box with only one Millwall player in the box, that being Morison.

The referee missed Neil Harris' attempt at punching Trotman on the back of the head. The officials were awful from start to finish.
After the Millwall goal, Town forced three successive corners only one really caught Forde flapping which resulted in Peter Clarke's header towards goal hitting Robinson on the hand but this referee wasn't going to give anything.

Schofield poked a Morison cross wide on the half hour mark, Harris fired well wide after getting a half a yard on the Town defender, Morison headed over from a Milwall corner and from another corner Darren Ward's header was saved as Town held on to go in the break without further conceding.

Early into the second half Jack Smith caught Gary Roberts with resulted in Roberts collapsing to the floor, neither referee or linesman gave the free-kick never mind a yellow card.

Town forced corner after corner but failed to do anything with them, Roberts had a goal at goal but unfortunately his 20-yard drive flew way over the bar on 56 minutes.

Town's passing game was being undone as Millwall closed down Town's players at every opportunity resulting in Town hitting the ball long for frequent period which was easily dealt with by Millwall's Ward and Robinson.

When Town did get it on the floor it nearly paid off, Danny Drinkwater and Anthony Kay was in the build up which led to Lee Peltier's right wing cross taking a deflecting past Novak and past the far post for another Town corner.

Barron should have made it 2-0 when he easily danced past three Town players in the box but his fierce shot rattled the post with Smithies rooted to the spot.
A Town short corner saw Roberts's deflected shot easily dealt with by Forde.

Trotman denied Morison with a superb tackle when it looked like Morison was baring down on goal on 78 minutes put the Lions cemented their place in the final with eight minutes left. Barron's corner found Robinson at the far who's powerful header flew into the top left hand corner of Smithies' goal.

And with that it means now Huddersfield Town will spend another season in League One having been outside the 2nd tier of English football for nearly 10 years. Visiting such grounds as Rochdale, Exeter (again) and the possibility of Aldershot!. My view is we just weren't good enough at the time we needed to be, poor results against mid-table and relegation threatened sides cost us as I believe we could have challenged for the top two this season. I hope Lee Clark signs one or two experienced players that the side is crying out for this summer.

I'd like to thank everyone who has read my match reports throughout the season and hopefully some of you have enjoyed them. I will be back next season doing the reports (hopefully!). Any feedback is welcome send me an e-mail sean.makin@terrier-bytes.com
Sean's Star Man - Peter Clarke
Only player I thought worth some credit, once again played his heart out at the back and has been solid as a rock all season. I hope next season we can get decent defenders alongside him as he can't do it all on his own.

Teams:

Milwall - Forde, Smith, Craig, Trotter, Robinson, Ward, Barron, Abdou, Harris (Alexander 88), Morison, Schofield.
Subs not used: Frampton, Fuseini, Laird, Batt, Obika, Sullivan (GK)

Town: Smithies, Peltier, P. Clarke, Trotman (N. Clarke 82), Williams, Roberts, Drinkwater, Kay, Pilkington (Eccleston 74), Rhodes (Robinson 56), Novak.
Subs not used: Eastwood, Collins, Goodwin, Simpson.