Millwall's Macaulay Langstaff shoots and scored late on against Leicester CityImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Macaulay Langstaff's leveller for Millwall was his first goal for more than two months

ByAndrew Aloia
BBC Sport, East Midlands at King Power Stadium

Macaulay Langstaff scored a 90th-minute equaliser to lift Millwall up to second place in the Championship despite being frustrated by already-relegated Leicester City at a half-empty King Power Stadium.

The Lions needed to win to guarantee that they would take their push for automatic promotion to the final day of the season, while a share of the points means Ipswich Town - who will still have a game in hand after this weekend - can leapfrog them and open a gap on Saturday if they beat West Bromwich Albion.

A late header from fit-again Harry Souttar, who was making his first competitive appearance for 16 months after recovering from an Achilles injury, meant Millwall faced staying below Ipswich on their inferior goal difference.

Langstaff, however, got on the end of a flicked pass from Ryan Leonard to fire home and ensure Millwall firmly remain in the race for the top two, even if they are not in control of their automatic promotion hopes.

A banner that read '3 drops in 4 years, Top shame on you' was unfurled by one section of Leicester supporters in the groundImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Fans continued to show their displeasure for the club's hierarchy, with this banner aimed at owner Khun Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha unfurled by one group of supporters in the ground

Leicester's support was always expected to be fractious after Tuesday's relegation, and the inclusion of former England midfielder Harry Winks gave fans someone to target their boos at.

Winks' foul-mouthed exchange with a fan at last week's defeat at Portsmouth became a viral moment.

There was, however, room for positivity in Leicester boss Gary Rowett's selection, with Australia international Souttar making his long awaited comeback after being injured while on loan at Sheffield United in December 2024.

Although there was a sense of resignation about their game against Hull three days earlier, Leicester's final home match before heading to League One generated little more than apathy as significant pockets of seats were left empty around the ground.

A less than capacity crowd was nothing new this campaign, but the sheer scale in which supporters chose to stay away was a clear message sent by a fanbase that has demanded changes at the club.

A fighting spirit is what they have craved for so long this season. For that reason the vital block that Hamza Choudhury made on Josh Coburn, as he threatened to break free on goal, generated the biggest cheer from home supporters in the first half.

The challenge came at a cost for the visitors with Coburn eventually forced off after suffering an apparent hip injury.

That was the first of many half chances at both ends before the break, with the best of the opportunities smashed into the side netting by Millwall's Leonard in the 24th minute.

It was not until Foxes goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk made a fine reflex save with his legs, denying Mihailo Ivanovic from six yards out in the 51st minute, that either keeper was seriously tested.

And the home shot-stopper outdid himself moments later when he palmed a close-range Thierno Ballo header over the bar.

Souttar, who had not made an appearance for Leicester for 853 days - dating back to when they were last in the Championship - gave the home fans something to cherish when he met Luke Thomas' cross at the back post.

It looked to be enough to earn the hosts just their second win in more than three months, but substitute Langstaff provided the late, and still potentially season-defining, drama.

Souttar added bloody-mindedness - Foxes reaction

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Gary Rowett: 'Sometimes it just comes down to desire'

Leicester City manager Gary Rowett said:

"It was always going to be a tough evening knowing that we sealed our fate on Tuesday. There was a little bit of me wondering how we would respond and how we would perform.

"We spoke candidly about the need to be professional and the need to make sure that we did out jobs at the very least.

"The first half was probably an indication of Millwall just wanted the game a little bit more – they had more energy and ran with more intensity at times.

"In the second half we had a bit more energy and a bit more fight about our performance and the goal sums it up. I've spoken about wanting a bit more nastiness and a little more bloody-mindedness to score some scruffier goals in one box and to defend the other better.

"And Harry Souttar summed it up tonight, he headed everything out of our box and had real desire, along with Jannik [Vestergaard] and the one opportunity he gets in the other box, he attacks it like there is only one person that is going to score.

"We have missed that, and for someone to give us that after being out for 450-odd days is quite incredible."

Next games will determine importance of point - Millwall reaction

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Neil: "If anything I think we deserved to win."

Millwall boss Alex Neil told BBC Sport:

"There is disappointment [in the changing room] because we've not won the game, and that is always the overriding emotion whether it is the second last game or if it's the second game.

"It doesn't make any difference because we set out to win and we tried to win. There will always be frustration for the fact that I think when you get a point and haven't played well, you can be quite content, but we feel we played well and had enough opportunities to make a difference and to score, and we didn't take them.

"Depending on what happens in the next couple of games will determine how important or not important that point will be.

"We just need to try and finish with as many points as we can. We were never thought to be in contention for the top two at any point, not with anybody, and we are still here with one game to play. For that to be the case, this group of players has done magnificently well."

Player of the match

Number: 15 H. Souttar
Average rating 7.50
Number: 15 H. Souttar
Average Rating: 7.50
Number: 1 J. Stolarczyk
Average Rating: 6.13
Number: 25 L. Page
Average Rating: 6.11
Number: 6 J. James
Average Rating: 5.95
Number: 33 L. Thomas
Average Rating: 5.88
Number: 22 O. Skipp
Average Rating: 5.81
Number: 8 H. Winks
Average Rating: 5.67
Number: 17 H. Choudhury
Average Rating: 5.64
Number: 28 J. Monga
Average Rating: 5.60
Number: 23 J. Vestergaard
Average Rating: 5.45
Number: 14 B. De Cordova-Reid
Average Rating: 5.11
Number: 7 A. Fatawu
Average Rating: 5.01
Number: 56 O. Aluko
Average Rating: 4.88
Number: 10 S. Mavididi
Average Rating: 4.87
Number: 29 D. Mukasa
Average Rating: 4.73
Number: 20 P. Daka
Average Rating: 4.45

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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