Hull City and Millwall played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, leaving the tie balanced on a knife edge ahead of a decisive second leg. The MKM Stadium hosted a largely uneventful encounter on Friday night, but one that exploded into controversy in the closing stages and now sends both clubs to The Den with everything still to play for.
The 0-0 scoreline tells the story of a cagey, tightly contested affair in which neither side could find the breakthrough. The most dramatic moment of the night arrived late on, when Millwall briefly believed they had stolen a priceless advantage through Ryan Leonard, only for the effort to be ruled out for a foul in the build-up. As a result, the semi-final remains all square heading into Monday night, with a place at Wembley on the line.
A Cagey Contest at the MKM
Play-off football is rarely a free-flowing spectacle, and this first leg fitted that template. The encounter at the MKM Stadium was, by common consent, a largely uneventful affair, with both Hull City and Millwall acutely aware of the stakes and reluctant to overcommit. Caution defined the contest, and clear-cut openings were at a premium as the two sides probed for a way through without exposing themselves.