champions-elect burnley at den

that the striker was not named in the starting lineup, with manager Gary Rowett revealing that he had a swollen ankle in the buildup to the game. It forced the Lions to reshuffle their front four, with Andreas Voglsammer moving up front while George Honeyman and Duncan Watmore played either side of Zian Flemming.

By Alex Jones at The Den alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

Cl A iMiNg T he scalp of an automatic promotion contender is a major accomplishment for any side in the Championship, but doing it twice in the space of three days is the sign of a side that can truly challenge at the top end of the table.

Millwall were halfway there heading into Tuesday’s home match against league leaders Burnley, having downed Sheffield United at The Den in an incredible 3-2 win thanks to Tom Bradshaw’s hat-trick.

However, fans were shocked to see

It felt like the opening stages of the game would define the course of the match as Burnley took control immediately, dominating large parts of possession while leaving Millwall to chase shadows. Jamie Shackleton’s heavy touch in the eighth minute looked to have given Anass Zaroury a golden chance to open the scoring, but George Long got down low to deny him for a corner.

Just seconds later, the visitors came again as Vitinho’s cross from the right flank met Ashley Barnes in the middle of the box, but the veteran striker launched his effort wide of the post as the Clarets continued to push forward. While their patience was key in the final third, Burnley’s discipline was far from perfect in their own half, giving away a number of free-kicks in their own half. Millwall were unable to take advantage, however, with Flemming smacking the wall from their best chance of the opening stages.

It looked like the pressure would become too much for Gary Rowett’s men as Burnley continued to press, forcing countless errors and continuing to threaten as the half wore on. However, in the 21st minute, Flemming looked to catch Arijanet Muric off his line with an audacious lob on the halfway line, firing just wide. It woke up the home crowd, who got behind their team as they started to turn the tide.

Jake Cooper regularly pushed up from the back for Millwall’s freekick situations, diverting his headers narrowly off target as his side grew in confidence. It was clear that their direct approach was working, as was their pressing, with Burnley looking to play out from the back at every opportunity.

The Lions won the ball back high up the pitch eight minutes before the break, with Flemming gifted space to curl a long-range effort into the palms of Muric - their first shot on target of the half. Yet it was Burnley who had the last chance before half-time, with Scott Twine scooping a shot past the post from a fluid counterattack before the flag was raised for offside.

Zaroury came forward with the first chance of the second half, bringing the ball inside from the left flank before blasting his shot miles off target. While Millwall fans enjoyed the moment, there was a real sense of frustration when they won a rare corner up the other end of the pitch, which Voglsammer smashed straight out of play for a goal kick.

Muric’s goal kick caught the Lions off guard, and before they knew it, Vitinho had popped up with the ball down the right, crossing into the box for Twine. His initial effort was blocked, but Ashley Barnes was on hand to prod the ball into the back of the net to give Burnley the lead in the 51st minute.

Millwall looked for an immediate response as Flemming broke down the right side of the pitch. He was brought down on the edge of the area for a free- kick, which George Saville dinked into the gloves of Muric. It woke Burnley up and kickstarted a lengthy period of dominance that almost saw them double their lead.

Amidst the amateur dramatics from Twine and Ian Maatsen, Cullen was able to release Vitinho down the right flank once again. The Brazilian’s cross found Josh Brownhill this time, with the Clarets’ captain stroking his shot onto the post.

Rowett ended up rolling the dice with just under 20 minutes left to play, as Bradshaw, Romain Esse and Ryan Leonard were brought on. Esse looked the brightest, immediately combining with Flemming to win a corner, but Voglsammer smacked it straight into the gloves of Muric. It looked like Burnley would be able to play out a routine win, but Millwall had other ideas. Some clever thinking from Esse gave them another corner, which the Clarets cleared out as far as Flemming on the left. His cross back into the box pinballed around before Bradshaw was able to rush in and slide the ball into the net for an

85th-minute equaliser.

No, it wasn’t quite the dream win that fans were hoping for. The Lions were often outplayed and pinned back, but their spirit cannot be questioned, and that’s a big reason as to why they occupy a play-off place after 32 league matches.

With crucial games against top-six rivals Luton Town and Norwich City

Championship preview