Millwall squander precious points as slick Norwich City put a huge dent in promotion bid

Wall to Wall excitement at the Den as the season's end approaches : Picture by @YTJourno

Championship

Millwall (0) 1 Ivanovic 56

Norwich City (0) 2 Mattsson 61, Schwartau 76

Millwall's hopes of building on their brilliant Good Friday win at Middlesbrough fell away at a sun-kissed Den as a superior Norwich recovered from a goal down to claim a deserved win.

Alex Neil's men could have few complaints. The Canaries dominated from the start and looked far more polished on the ball. It was a mystifyingly subdued performance from the Lions - though perhaps the efforts of the game a couple of days ago had something to do with that.

In spite of their off-key display, they somehow managed to eke out a lead at the start of the second half when Mihailo Ivanovic - on as a half-time sub - got on the end of a cross from Casper de Norre to head in his ninth goal of the season from close range.

But the advantage only lasted a few minutes, as the Canaries hit back for a merited equaliser when Pelle Mattson's fired superbly into the top corner from just outside the box.

And the Canaries grabbed a stunning goal on the break to win it - finished off by Oscar Schwartau after a one-two with fellow sub Mohamed Toure.

The Canaries set the tempo and monopolised the ball in the opening half hour - without finding the end product. Jake Cooper's towering presence was enough to force striker Mathias Kvistgaarden into a feeble final shot when he only had Lions stopper Anthony Patterson in front of him.

Jack Stacey's scampering run into the box after a lightning raid ended with the defender shooting across the face of goal, with the Lions' defence for once looking well and truly breached by a crossfield ball from Anis Ben Slimane.

Skipper Kenny McLean also almost got on the end of a cross from Ali Ahmed out on the left, but the final contact was poor.

It all added up to false hope for the Lions when they grabbed the lead. This was a game where they simply did not look like the team lying second in the Championship table.

They created little.

With five games left - just two at home - automatic promotion is by no means out of the question, but a great opportunity may have been lost, with both Boro and Ipswich too close in the table for comfort.

For once, this was a Norwich win the Ipswich fans will not have minded.

Lions: (4-4-2) Patterson - Sturge (Bryan 87), Taylor, Cooper, Crama - Azeez, Bannan (Mazou-Sacko 87), Neghli, De Norre (Watson 80) - Cundle (Ivanovic h/t), Coburn

Canaries: (4-2-3-1) Kovacevic - Stacey, Darling, Cordoba, Fisher (Chrisene 67) - Field, Mattsson - McLean, Slimane (Scwartau 67), Ahmed - Kvistgaarden (Toure h/t)