CITY 1 MILLWALL 3

WELL City have twice been here before – and they will need to conjure up the spirit of 1996 and 2013 if this season is to sign off at Wembley.

But on today’s evidence, Millwall look a far more formidable opponent than Burton or Blackpool were in previous times.

Fighting back to win well at Bloomfield Road or the Pirelli Stadium is one thing. Doing it at the Den on Friday night in the ferocious atmosphere likely to greet them will be something different altogether.

A day that had begun so well with Tony McMahon’s penalty descended downhill before half-time.

Millwall’s strike combo with the West Yorkshire flavour – Steve Morison, who flopped at Leeds, and former Halifax hitman Lee Gregory – both responded before Joe Martin’s pinpoint free-kick gave the visitors breathing space.

City did have their “Garry Thompson” moment as they hammered away for a response in the second half and Filipe Morais will be haunted by his miss.

City had cranked up the atmosphere before kick-off by parading play-off veterans John Hendrie, Greg Abbott and Thompson. There was also a poignant minute’s applause to remember Chris Mitchell after his shock death last week.

There had not been an away winner between the two teams in their previous ten meetings. The last was Millwall’s Valley Parade victory in 2003 when present boss Neil Harris scored the late goal.

Harris would have been relieved to see James Hanson – a player he tried to sign three times last summer – not included on the City team sheet. Reece Burke was also missing as the pre-match injury concerns proved to be genuine.

Nathan Clarke, a veteran of Huddersfield’s unsuccessful play-off battles with Millwall six years ago, was given the job of handling the physical threat of target man Morison. It was an uphill battle throughout.

The Millwall skipper’s partnership with Gregory had been worth 43 goals this season before today – City only scored 13 more in the league in total.

City’s success had been built on a water-tight defence – with a record of 27 clean sheets, few had anticipated such a first-half goal rush.

It was the first time they had conceded three at home all season. The last time had been Bristol City’s title-clinching six 13 months ago.

The noise was deafening as the game started at breakneck pace and it quickly grew in intensity as both sides scored.

City struck the first blow on 13 minutes after Millwall defender Martin lost control outside his own box and tripped Josh Cullen.

McMahon’s deep free-kick was headed back into the mix by Jamie Proctor where Martin inexplicably handled.

Ref Dean Whitestone pointed straight to the spot but a bout of “hand bags” broke out before McMahon could take it. The midfielder shoved a hand into the face of Chris Taylor and was booked – less lenient officials might have looked at a red instead of yellow card.

McMahon then sent Jordan Archer the wrong way with a confident penalty as Valley Parade erupted.

The place was still celebrating when Millwall hit straight back.

Martin made amends for his part in City’s opener with the cross into the box, Morison won the header and Gregory capped his return to West Yorkshire by spinning and shooting past Ben Williams.

It burst City’s bubble and ended a run of five clean sheets on the bounce – the first goal they had conceded at home since Nathan Tyson scored a Doncaster consolation on March 12.

So much for the tight, defensive-dominated contest that we all predicted.

City tried to shake their heads clear from the shock as Proctor continued to make a nuisance of himself in the Hanson role.

McMahon headed the ball into his path and he teed up Morais for a snap-shot wide from the edge of the box.

But Morison was looking a threat for the visitors and conjured up a second goal for the visitors 11 minutes before the break.

He neatly turned away from McArdle on the touchline to mount a Millwall counter-attack. The centre half recovered to track back and block for a corner – but James Meredith lost Morison from Shane Ferguson’s set-piece and he bulleted a header inside the near post.

The whole complexion of the game had changed. “No-one likes us” boomed out from the Millwall end as City were suddenly chasing matters.

The usual control and composure was lacking from their play, passes were going astray and everything seemed rushed and frantic.

Spirits were lifted with a corner just before the break but Lee Evans, who was struggling to make an impact on matters, headed across goal and well wide.

And things then got worse. Gregory was fouled 25 yards out and Martin bent a perfect free-kick over the wall and beyond the diving Williams.

Millwall’s and Martin’s afternoon continued to get better. For City, it was a horrible case of déjà vu as they trailed in at the break down 3-1 – as they had done in their previous play-off experience.

There could be few complaints. The Bantams had been outmuscled and outfought since that early lead.

Half-time could not come quick enough and the home side emerged with more edge about them.

Evans saw an early shot blocked in a goalmouth melee and the crowd were back in full voice willing in that second goal.

That should have come nine minutes in after Proctor proved too strong for Carlos Edwards trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick.

Proctor instead whipped the ball off him and squared for Morais – who missed horribly with a side-foot past the post from six yards.

It was a golden opportunity gone begging. A goal then and it would still have been all to play for.

But it was much more positive from the home side with play concentrated in Millwall territory as they looked to regain some kind of foothold in the tie.

There were more balls coming into the box, with Meredith linking up with the attack more frequently, although not enough movement from the strikers to try and get across their markers.

Parkinson added more devil as Morais made way for Steve Davies, who had come off the bench to settle the last league encounter at Easter.

Proctor nearly got on the end of Stephen Darby’s long ball through the middle but the two defenders with him did enough to deflect his bouncing attempt wide.

City’s corners had been a mixed bag but McMahon picked out Clarke for a header which Jordan Archer alertly tipped over.

Millwall’s own threat had died down since the break, apart from a Morison cross-shot onto the top of the net, and they watched anxiously again as Evans sent a free-kick a yard wide from distance.

The Welshman curled over the bar in stoppage time and it was victorious London voices that greeted the final whistle.