Millwall boost play-off hopes with win over Hull

Scott Malone’s freakish second-half goal helped Millwall to a 2-1 win against Hull at The Den to boost their playoff hopes.

Malone made it 1-0 after 51 minutes when Richie Smallwood’s clearance rebounded off him into the net, before Tom Bradshaw doubled the lead four minutes later.

But the game was far from over as Tom Eaves scored an 86th-minute consolation to make the home fans sweat.

The result means Millwall move up to seventh while Hull remain in 19th.

The first chance fell to Millwall striker Bradshaw when Danny McNamara drove a low cross into the box from the right but despite being in space, his effort drifted off target.

The hosts could have scored again after Malone floated a delightful free-kick into the box, though it was eventually cleared.

Hull then sprung into life and Alfie Jones forced a stunning save from Bartosz Bialkowski, who got down low at his near post to deny the wandering centre-back.

Callum Elder then nearly cost Hull dearly following a calamitous back-pass to keeper Nathan Baxter.

The left-back’s weight of pass was off, but he did brilliantly to recover and stop Tyler Burey from tapping the ball into an empty net having gone round the keeper.

Malone was proving a thorn in Hull’s side and came close to grabbing the game’s first goal after drilling a low shot toward the bottom right corner to force the save of the half from Baxter.

After the break, Benik Afobe had another chance to score when the ball fell to him close to the penalty spot, but another save from Baxter kept Hull in it following the striker’s powerful shot towards the centre of goal.

The ball then went straight down the other end, and from a corner, Bialkowski was forced into another good save from Jones.

But just a minute later,