Millwall eye 'fairytale' in Championship play-offs
Millwall, Hull, Southampton and Middlesbrough are chasing promotion via the play-offs (Adrian DENNIS) Millwall head into the English Championship play-offs with their sights set on a "fairytale" return to the top-flight after 36 years, while Southampton, Middlesbrough and Hull hope to end much shorter exiles from the Premier League. After 46 rounds of matches in English football's second-tier regular season, four teams remain standing in the race for promotion as the play-off semi-finals kick off on Friday. Championship winners Coventry and second-placed Ipswich secured automatic promotion, with Millwall finishing third, Southampton fourth, Middlesbrough fifth and Hull sixth.
In the 40th season of the Football League play-offs, the post-season battle should be as captivating as ever, capable of producing drama and heartache. Hull will host Millwall in the first leg of their semi-final on Friday in a clash between two unexpected play-off participants. Millwall have not played in the Premier League since it was founded in 1992 -- their only seasons in English football's top tier came in 1988/89 and 1989/90 when it was the First Division.
The south London club, who finished just one point behind Ipswich, are in the second-tier play-offs for the first time since 2002. It has been a remarkably successful campaign, given their pay-roll this season ranks 15th among the 24 Championship teams. Millwall boss Alex Neil, who led Norwich into the Premier League via the play-offs in 2015, believes taking the Lions up would be his greatest achievement.
"We're in the play-offs with an unbelievable season but there's still a lot to play for," Neil told BBC Radio London. "For this group, what we've done, I think we deserve to have something for our efforts come the end of it, not just a pat on the back and a well done. "We're hoping there is still a fairytale ending for us.
" - 'A brilliant chance' - Standing in Millwall's way are Hull, who defied the odds to make the play-offs just 12 months after they narrowly avoided relegation to the third tier on the last day of the season. Hull last played in the Premier League in 2016/17 and are bidding to become the first team to go up from the Championship play-offs after finishing sixth since Blackpool 16 years ago. Southampton, who travel to Middlesbrough for their first leg on Saturday, are the bookmakers' favourites to win the play-offs after a blistering end to the season.