Mathias Jorgensen double earns late win for Blackburn at 10-man Millwall

Substitute Mathias Jorgensen scored twice in the final 10 minutes as Blackburn boosted their survival hopes in the Sky Bet Championship with a vital 2-1 victory at promotion-chasing Millwall.

Middlesbrough’s draw against Bristol City earlier on Saturday gave the Lions the chance to move into the automatic promotion places and they looked to be heading there thanks to Luke Cundle’s spectacular opener.

But a red card for Millwall defender Zak Sturge changed the contest dramatically as Rovers produced a late comeback that moved them three points clear of the relegation zone.

It took 23 minutes for the first decent effort from either side as Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s free-kick needed tipping over by Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

This led to Blackburn being the first to settle and they missed a great chance to go ahead when Eiran Cashin met Todd Cantwell’s cross with a header that drifted wide.

The home fans, knowing the opportunity the Lions had been presented with, were growing increasingly restless at their side’s sluggish performance, which showed little sign of improving.

Millwall failed to have a shot in the first half, but they were nearly ahead four minutes after the restart when Femi Azeez’s cross was cleared as far as Barry Bannan, whose effort was pushed behind by Blackburn goalkeeper Balazs Toth.

It did not take the Lions quite as long to have their second attempt as, a minute later, Camel Neghli’s lovely ball into the box was headed over by captain Jake Cooper.

A half-time talking-to had clearly done the trick for the hosts, who led after 54 minutes when Azeez’s cross was met by a superb overhead kick from half-time sub Cundle that nestled in the bottom corner.

A chance to double the lead on the counter soon came along as Josh Coburn’s pass sent Neghli galloping towards the area, but his shot across goal went narrowly wide.

Then came a big twist as Millwall went down to 10 men in the 59th minute when Sturge was shown a straight red for pulling down Yuki Ohashi as he was trying to run through on goal.

Thrown a lifeline, Rovers went on the attack with Ryan Alebiosu having a shot saved by Patterson, but the Lions were a threat on the break as Azeez fired narrowly over from a tight angle.

Blackburn had their equaliser in the 80th minute when Ohashi’s pass put Alebiosu in behind and his ball across the six-yard box gave Jorgensen the simplest of tap-ins.

And a dramatic late turnaround was completed five minutes later when Ryoya Morishita’s pass found Jorgensen in space and the Dane swept his shot into the bottom corner to give the visitors a priceless victory.