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Bradford City 0 Millwall 1: Steve Morison claims pitch-invading fans 'ruined' play-off heroics
Few moments are as special as a winning goal at Wembley in a play-off final, but for Steve Morison it took barely ten minutes for the occasion to be tarnished.
“I can’t focus right now,” said Morison, just moments after his late winner had sent Millwall back into the Championship. “They have ruined it for me. Absolutely ruined it.”
As ever, “they” were the Millwall fans, spilling onto the Wembley pitch in their hundreds at the final whistle. The majority of them stayed in their own half, with their own team’s players, but there were more than a few who swaggered and stumbled their way towards beaten Bradford City, screaming abuse.
It was ugly, and it was frankly what we have come to expect from this club at the precise moment the world is watching them. Similar scenes marred their victory over Leicester City in the FA Cup earlier this year, and it is made all the more galling by the fact that so many of their fans seem to thrive on such moments of idiocy.
“Wembley has got to learn,” said Bradford manager Stuart McCall. “Everyone in the whole place knew the fans were coming on. I don’t understand supporters wanting to come and goad myself, the staff and the players when they have won a game. Just enjoy your moment.
“I was close to clocking a couple, coming up in my face. It’s something they have to learn from, Five or ten minutes after the event an army of stewards walk on. Where were they after the game, when they should have been on the halfway line?”
It marked a sorry end to a performance that should have filled the Millwall faithful with pride. Having scraped into the League One play-offs by a single point, they grunted and grinded their way out of the division with a performance short of class but bristling with determination.
It marks a memorable end to a remarkable season, in which they have beaten three Premier League sides in the FA Cup, won a long-running battle to keep hold of their stadium, and now jumped back into the second tier of English football a year after being beaten at the same stage last time around.
And yet there the fans were, stampeding across the pitch and stealing the spotlight away from their exhausted heroes. The invasion was eventually curtailed by the arrival of the stewards and a panicked reminder over the tannoy that it was an offence to be on the hallowed Wembley turf, but it felt like the damage had been done. Metropolitan Police later said it had made 12 arrests, although not all were related to the pitch invasion.
The distraction is a shame, too, for manager Neil Harris, who has built a side that knows how to fight, of course, but on this evidence also knows how to defend.
For long periods Bradford controlled the ball and the tempo. But big chances were wasted, and when the ball finally found Morison at the back post, he was never going to miss.
“He is our talisman,” said Harris. “At any football club you have to a main man, a leader in the front line. Steve would be the first to admit he’s not always the best player on the pitch, but he is an integral part of how we play and how he leads the dressing room.”
On the invasion, Harris said he “certainly does not condone it”, but added that it “will not take away my joy tonight”.
Play-off defeat is always cruel, and there will be no shortage of sympathy for Bradford, who started the season with just eight players. Yet they could have won this game three times over, and paid the price for switching off when it mattered most.
In the first half, they should have taken the lead through Billy Clarke, but his effort was brilliantly tipped round the post by Millwall’s Jordan Archer.
Defender Rory McArdle then had two chances of his own, one in either half. He headed the first straight at Archer, and then directed a second header over the bar from just six yards out.
At this point, McCall began to frown. They were in control, with the excellent Josh Cullen pulling the strings in midfield, but they were not making it count.
Then came the breakthrough. Millwall had been buoyed by the spurned chances, and broke down the left. Jed Wallace’s cross found Lee Gregory, whose flicked header flew the feet of the lurking Morison. With one stab of his right boot, he won the game, sent Millwall into the Championship, and sparked bedlam.
And some news of a Millwall fan being a prat
Millwall fan now shouting into Stuart McCall's face.
— Louis Mendez (@LouisMend) May 20, 2017
Let the celebrations begin
A Millwall legend reacts
Miiiiiiillllllllwaaaallllll https://t.co/KukFCP6r76
— TIM CAHILL (@Tim_Cahill) May 20, 2017
Heartbreak for Bradford
And the Millwall fans are on the pitch. Manager Neil Harris is single-handedly trying to get everyone off it. He's not happy with the fans at all.
Match winner Steve Morison says the fans have "ruined it for him." A bit strong, Steve, you've just won promotion!
Full time
MILLWALL ARE PROMOTED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
90 mins +5
There is one last chance to equalise and McMahon has completely wasted it. It cannons around the Millwall six-yard box and falls to McMahon, but he drills it into the side netting. His team-mates are furious and rightly so.
90 mins + 5
Archer claims a long ball and that could well be that.
90 mins +4
Onyedinma wins a free-kick and by the time he has taken it there is under 90 seconds remaining.
90 mins +2
It's tense. Really, really tense. Bradford are camped inside the Millwall box.
But Millwall clear and the fresh legs of Onyedinma carries the ball right up to the corner, and eats up a good 30 seconds.
90 mins
Time is running out for Bradford. Millwall run the clock down with two substitutions.
The fourth official signals five extra minutes. A huge roar goes up from the Bradford fans.
89 mins
Bradford are throwing the ball forward and a corner falls to Cullen on the edge of the box but he fires way over the bar.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Millwall steal it at the death!!!!
Steve Morison has scored for Millwall to surely, surely win this one!
The ball is worked out to the left, crossed into the box and flicked on by Gregory. Morison anticipates the flick best and nips ahead of the defence to poke home from close range.
Replays show that was a great decision by the linesman on a very close call.
84 mins
And ANOTHER free-kick given against the Millwall attackers. Still 0-0.
83 mins
ANOTHER Millwall corner.
82 mins
Dieng does brilliantly to work some space down the right. The ball eventually comes back to McMahon, but his dinked cross is headed wide by Meredith.
81 mins
79 mins
What a challenge from McArdle, who has to be up there for man of the match, to deny Morison when one-on-one in the box! It deflects behind for a corner, but yet again Bradford stand firm.
76 mins
James Meredith collides with Wallace and is given a yellow card. Ferguson's delivery from the set-piece is again poor.
75 mins
Millwall's 12th corner of the match comes to nothing.
Double sub for Bradford
Alex Jones (see 14:17 post for more info) and Timothee Dieng replace Billy Clarke and Nicky Law.
72 mins
The Millwall onslaught is relentless at the moment. Ball after ball is being launched towards the Bradford goal, but so far they are holding firm. We're 18 minutes from extra time.
Sub for Millwall
Shane Ferguson - formerly of Newcastle and Bimingham - replaces Aiden O'Brien.
66 mins
...McArdle wins it again. And heads over again. It remains 0-0.
65 mins
It's become quite bitty now. Lots of free-kicks being given and little flow to the game. Bradford get another one, out on the right, near the edge of the box...
This is pretty strange
61 mins
Now it's Millwall's turn to miss a fairly easy chance. Morison flicks a throw on to Gregory, who turns and darts towards goal, before slipping Wallace in. It opens up for him and he's clean through - but he kind of kicks the ball with his ankle and skews it harmlessly wide.
59 mins
Huge chance for Bradford, as McMahon's free-kick is headed over the by from inside the six-yard box by McArdle. Will Bradford be made to rue all these missed chances?
58 mins
We have a first yellow card of the game, and it's given to Aiden O'Brien as he brings down Marshall who has built up a head of steam.
55 mins
An eighth corner of the match for Millwall, and Bradford clear once again.
54 mins
O'Brien does well to hunt down an overhit pass from Gregory on the right flank, and he wins a corner off Meredith.
51 mins
The ball drops to Steve Morison on the edge of the box but he drags a left-footed volley well wide of the target.
49 mins
End-to-end stuff early on in the second half, with Meredith seeing a decent shot blocked before Gregory is tackled at the very last as he bursts into the Bradford box.
The players are back out
And Bradford get the second half started. A LOT of fans are yet to retake their seats.
It's all to play for in the second half
Here's a better shot of that Archer save that has kept the game goalless.
Half time
The referee brings a decent half to a close, and it really is anyone's guess who will win this one.
Millwall have a game plan and it is causing problems when they can get a foot on the ball, but Bradford have had the best chance of the game and may be disappointed to go in goalless.
45 mins
...but it comes to nothing. Morison concedes a free-kick for grappling.
44 mins
Jed Wallace does well down the right and wins yet another Millwall corner...
42 mins
Marshall darts between challenges out on the right and wins a free-kick in a dangerous position. McMahon delivers but Wyke's glanced header sails well wide.
39 mins
Some desperate defending from Bradford as more high balls into their box cause even more problems with Morison and Hutchinson very nearly combining. A last-ditch block denies the Millwall man.
36 mins
Morison has the ball taken off his toe at the last second as he winds up hit a falling ball.
33 mins
Bradford win another corner as Clarke's shot from distance is deflected wide. He comes across to take a left-footed in-swinger. But he drills it low to the edge of the box where McMahon is arriving but that is one hell of a tough chance, and he, quite understandably, doesn't get a clean strike on the ball.
31 mins
Bradford finally win a corner of their own, and McArdle gets up well to get a decent connection on the ball but his effort is straight at Archer.
29 mins
Another Millwall corner brings another Bradford break. They work the ball out to dangerman Marshall but his cross is disappointing.
It's a close run thing, that.
Stuart McCall must be up there with Gerry Francis in the 'staunch refusal to alter his hairstyle' stakes.
— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) May 20, 2017
23 mins
Bradford are enjoying their best period of the match, enjoying a bit more of the ball and penning Millwall back in their own half.
Marshall shoots (very) ambitiously from distance, it is blocked, and Clarke gets to the loose ball first to win a free-kick on the edge of the box. McMahon's effort is well struck but cleared by a defender.
20 mins
It's been a really good, open start to this game. Nobody seems overawed by the occasion. And now the sun's out, too. Lovely.
15 mins
What a save!! Bradford have been under the cosh for a good five minutes, dealing with corner after corner, and when they finally get one away they have the best chance of the game on the break.
Marshall charges down the left and then slides a perfect ball through to put Clarke in on goal. He has to score, surely... but Jordan Archer spreads himself brilliantly to tip the shot wide of the post. Half the ground thought that was in.
Good game here. #Millwall causing problems from set pieces but Bradford should have the lead. Billy Clarke stopped by Archer on the break
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) May 20, 2017
11 mins
Another Millwall corner is cleared for yet another. They're piling on the pressure. Williams' cross this time finds Morison, who can't direct his header on target. That was more than half a chance.
9 mins
Scrappy stuff but Millwall are causing a few problems with some direct play. First Gregory gets in on goal but can't bring a long ball down cleanly, before Morison wins a ball in the box but his shot is blocked. From the resulting corner Hutchinson's header is deflected over.
Yep.
6 mins
Mark Marshall gets his head down on the right wing, throws a stepover and creates himself a yard to cross. It is only half cleared and McMahon volleys back towards goal, but his effort is tame and sails wide.
A decent start at Wembley with both teams going for broke.
4 mins
Billy Clarke finds a bit of space in an inside right position for Bradford, to a roar of support from their fans, but his chipped through ball is, frankly, awful, and goes straight out for a goal kick.
2 mins
An early free-kick for Millwall in a decent position on the right, but the cross is poor and easily cleared.
Here we go then
Millwall get us underway. We're up and running at Wembley!
Here come the players
The teams are out, the fans are in fine voice and we are just about ready for the League One play-off final.
A recent history
Bradford have been outside the top two tiers since 2004, having spent six seasons in League Two in the interim period. Of course, they were in the Premier League as recently as 2001. Can they take a huge step back towards the big time?
Bradford manager Stuart McCall talks
"I'm expecting it to be tight. We practised three days doing penalties so that tells you something!"
Millwall manager Neil Harris's thoughts
"The experience of being here last year will be important." [Millwall lost 3-1 to Barnsley at this stage a year ago.]
"We got caught cold early on and lost a player we took a risk on so we've been more conservative with our team selection this year.
"Morison and Gregory can be a threat but I'm confident we have goals from all over the park."
It's getting heated on Wembley Way
You've got to back the Millwall fans in this fight.
Alex Jones returns
19-year-old centre-forward Jones was a doubt for today's game due to the hamstring injury that kept him out of both legs of Bradford's semi-final, but he is fit enough to return to the bench here.
He scored nine goals in half a season on loan at Port Vale (from then club Birmingham) before signing for Bradford and hitting five more as they finished fifth in League One. They'll be pleased to have him back.
Team news!
Here we go then, it's the one (some of) you have been waiting for! The League One play-off final is just an hour away - and here are the starting lineups. Both teams are as expected.
Bradford: Doyle; McMahon, McArdle, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Marshall, Cullen, Vincelot (c), Law, Wyke, Clarke.
Millwall: Archer; Romeo, Webster, Hutchinson, Craig; Wallace, Abdou, Williams, O'Brien; Gregory, Morison
Preview
What is it?
It's the League One play-off final, with a place in the Championship the prize for the winners.
When is it?
Saturday 20 May.
What time is kick-off?
3pm.
What TV channel is it on?
Sky Sports 1 will show live coverage. Alternatively, you can follow the match with us on this page.
What is the team news?
Bradford possible starting XI: Doyle; McMahon, McArdle, Knight-Percival, Meredith; Marshall, Vincelot, Cullen, Law; Clarke, Wyke.
Bradford have a concern over Alex Jones, who missed both legs of the semi-final against Fleetwood Town with a hamstring injury. He could make it back in time for the final, though.
Millwallhave a fully fit squad available, and 33-year-old striker Steve Morison will lead the line alongside Lee Gregory.
Millwall possible starting XI: Archer; Romeo, Webster, Hutchinson, Craig; Wallace, Abdou, Williams, O'Brien; Gregory, Morison.
What are the odds?
In 90 minutes:
Bradford win - 15/8 Draw - 9/4 Millwall win - 7/4
To be promoted:
Bradford - 5/6 Millwall 5/6
What's our prediction?
Neither team was particularly convincing in their semi-final but Millwall have shown this season they get up for the big occasions (see their FA Cup run for more).
They will be cheered on by vociferous support and might just edge this one.
Bradford 1-2 Millwall.
