Millwall's curse continues as Mohamed Belloumi sends Hull into Championship playoff final

"Millwall's Championship playoff curse continues. It is now four times they have come within touching distance of reaching the promised land of the Premier League only to fall at the semi-final stage. After defeats in 1991, 1994 and 2002, this one will be especially hard to take given that Alex Neil's side finished 10 points clear of Hull, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion on the final day."

"On a night when Millwall were heavy favourites to make it to Wembley, instead it was Mohamed Belloumi who stole the show for Sergej Jakirovic's side with a stunning opening goal before fellow substitute Joe Gelhardt rubbed their noses in it. While the only silver lining for Millwall's supporters is that it looks like they will get the chance to renew acquaintances with West Ham, whom they last played in 2012, Hull become the first team to finish sixth and reach the playoff final since Frank Lampard's Derby in 2019."

"Neil has plenty of pedigree in the playoffs having led Norwich to the Premier League in 2015 before kickstarting Sunderland's revival in 2022 when they returned to the Championship. He had urged Millwall's supporters to make it a night to remember and there was certainly a real sense of anticipation as the first airing of No one likes us, we don't care rang around the ground when the teams emerged before kick-off."

"The big talking point from the first leg was Ryan Leonard's disallowed goal that Neil felt should have stood, while supporters from both sides had to be separated by police after the full-time whistle. Many of those Hull fans who were brave enough to make the trip to southeast London were given free T-shirts by the club's chair, Acun Ilicali, to show his appreciation for their efforts. Jakirovic who took over last summer and has defied the odds to lead Hull this far given their lowly budget sprang a surprise by switching to a back five and it seemed to throw Millwall o"

Millwall’s Championship playoff run ended again at the semi-final stage, extending a pattern of falling short after previous defeats in 1991, 1994, and 2002. Hull finished sixth and reached the final, with Millwall finishing 10 points clear of Hull and missing automatic promotion by a narrow margin. Hull took control when Mohamed Belloumi scored an early goal, followed by a second from substitute Joe Gelhardt. Millwall supporters faced another hard loss despite the team being heavy favourites. Hull’s progress included a tactical shift to a back five under Sergej Jakirovic, and the first leg featured controversy around Ryan Leonard’s disallowed goal and police separating supporters after full time.

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