Saturday, May 23, 2009

Millwall v Scunthorpe (Sun)

League One play-off final
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday, 24 May Kick-off: 1300 BST
Coverage: Commentary on BBC London 94.9FM and BBC Radio Humberside 95.9FM; Coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website (UK only); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles. Also live on Sky Sports


Millwall manager Kenny Jackett and Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins
Managers Kenny Jackett and Nigel Adkins will lock horns on Sunday

Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins is confident the pain of having already lost at Wembley this season will spur his side on against Millwall on Sunday.

The Iron go into the League Two play-off final seven weeks after losing the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

"The experience of having been to Wembley and sampled it is going to be very beneficial," said Adkins.

"It's not nice to lose at Wembley but hopefully it can drive us on a little bit more when those legs are tired."

Millwall's hopes of a return to the Championship after three years has been boosted by the news defender Zak Whitbread will be fit for the Wembley clash after recovering from the head injury he suffered against Leeds.

Neil Harris has overcome a dead leg and is likely to start, while Lewis Grabban will come in for James Henry, whose loan from Reading has finished.

Scunthorpe's top scorer Gary Hooper is fit again after a groin problem.

Andrew Wright (facial wound) and Joseph Mills (ankle) could feature but Marcus Williams is definitely out because of an Achilles injury.

PAUL FLETCHER BLOG
BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher

Scunthorpe earned their place in the final with a penalty shoot-out win over MK Dons and come up against a Millwall side who battled their way past Leeds.

Adkins has seen his team beat Kenny Jackett's side twice already this season but insisted Millwall are favourites.

"We're the underdogs, clearly," said the 44-year-old, who was the club's physio when they last went up through the play-offs in 1999.

"It's a one-off game, anything can happen, and the players are in good spirits and expecting a hard game."

Reflecting on their previous Wembley visit this season, Adkins told BBC Look North: "We can go down there having experienced it before and we don't need to play the occasion - we just need to play the game.

"We loved every minute of the Championship last year, got 46 points and so nearly managed to stay up.

"We wanted to give ourselves an opportunity to get back there and we've got it now with one game to go, our 60th of the season."

"Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes have a had great partnership this year. Gary's scored 30 goals, Paul has scored 20, so that's 50 between them."

Jackett was a losing FA Cup finalist as a player with Watford back in 1984 and is desperate to experience the winning feeling as a manager.

"Finals are horrible to lose in. It's terrific to be involved, it will be a great day but we want to cap it all by winning," he said.

"Scunthorpe made a good fist of the Championship last year and have had a very successful season so far this year. They have some very good players, they've beaten us twice so we know what we are up against.

"It's a big challenge but there is no reason why we can't overcome it."

The Iron have sold just short of 10,000 tickets for the final and their support will be dwarfed by Millwall, who are expected to take as many as 50,000 fans for their first Wembley appearance in a decade.

Defender Alan Dunne was a Lions youth player when his side lost 1-0 to Wigan in the Auto Windscreens Shield final 10 years ago.

"I remember the day itself - I would love to have played but never thought I would have got to play there," he said.

"We're going on Sunday knowing only a win will do. So while we will take in a great occasion, we have to win the game.

"We've played Scunthorpe twice this year and they've beaten us twice but it's a one-off game, a cup competition, and either team can win it.

"We have to be professional, we've got the Leeds result out of us and we'll be confident going into the game."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Millwall contest their first play-off final, trying to return to the Championship after three seasons at the third level.

The Lions had to overcome the considerable hurdle of Leeds in the semi-finals. Neil Harris gave Millwall a 1-0 lead from the home leg, and Nadjim Abdou equalised at Elland Road to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.

The Iron won a tight semi-final with Milton Keynes Dons. Scunthorpe midfielder Martin Woolford scored in the home leg, which ended 1-1. There were no further goals after 120 minutes in the second leg, the North Lincolnshire club winning 7-6 on penalties after former Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo missed for the Dons.

Gary Hooper, Scunthorpe's 30-goal leading scorer, has put three goals past Millwall this season; Gary Alexander, the Lions' 13-goal top marksman, has netted just once against the Iron this term.



The Referee

Michael Oliver (Northumberland)

This game takes place 24 hours after Michael's father Clive takes charge of the League Two final. This is the first time in the history of the play-offs that a father and son have officiated in this way.

MILLWALL

The Table

Finished in fifth place, seven points short of automatic promotion.

Current form

Gained their play-off place with two games remaining, despite alternating between victory and defeat in their last eight games of the regular season.

Not won in four games away from the New Den, since beating Crewe at Gresty Road on 28 March.

Play-Off history

This is their fifth experience of the play-offs; their interest in all the previous four ended at the semi-final stage. The eventual prize for the winners in three of the previous unsuccessful four was a place in the top flight (1991, 1994 and 2002). The other play-off was at the same level as this one, in the year 2000.

The Manager

Kenny Jackett is taking a club to the play-off finals for the second time, having guided Swansea to the League One final at the Millennium Stadium on 27 May 2006. But that game against Barnsley was lost on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Now the former Wales international midfielder is heading to Wembley, 19 months after taking charge of Millwall. Jackett picked up an FA Cup losers medal at Wembley in 1984, as part of the Watford side that lost 2-0 to Everton.

Play-Off fact

In the 13 years since clubs finishing in positions third to sixth at third league level have qualified for the play-offs, the ones finishing in fifth have gone on to gain promotion three times.

Wembley appearances

Paying their first visit to Wembley since being thrashed 3-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final five years ago.

Their previous trip was also unsuccessful, losing 1-0 to Wigan in the final of the Auto Windscreens Shield on 18 April 1999.

SCUNTHORPE UNITED

The Table

Finished sixth, only gaining the final play-off spot thanks to a last-minute equaliser at home to Tranmere. A 1-1 draw saw them finish one place and two points above Rovers.

Current form

Drawn the last three league and play-off matches, and unbeaten in six (one win, five draws).

Lost only one of the last eight, and have not been beaten away from Glanford Park since defeat by the odd goal in three at Peterborough on 10 March.

Play-Off history

Appearing in their seventh play-off campaign, and in the final for the third time.

They lost on penalties to Blackpool in the Division Four final in 1992, but gained promotion to the third tier in 1999, beating Leyton Orient 1-0 at Wembley.

The Manager

Nigel Adkins was appointed manager in November 2006 and guided Scunthorpe to the League One title in his first season. But their first taste of life at the second level in 43 years was only a one-season stay.

Play-Off fact

In the 13 years since clubs finishing in positions third to sixth at third league level have qualified for the play-offs, the ones finishing sixth have gone on to gain promotion three times. Indeed in the whole history of the play-offs the side sitting in the last place has only been promoted to the second tier four times.

Wembley appearances

Made their first visit to the new Wembley last month, when they lost the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final to Luton, going down 3-2 after extra time.

Both of their two previous appearances in a play-off final were under the twin towers, in 1992 and 1999.

HEAD to HEAD

All competitions

Scunthorpe have done the league double over Millwall in the last two seasons they have been in the same division together (2006-07 and 2008-09).

They are meeting for the 17th time. The Iron have won half of the 16 previous clashes, Millwall have won four, and four have been drawn.

They have only met outside the league in the FA Cup.

Scunthorpe knocked out Millwall in 1951-52 (first round), 1969-70 (third round) and 1973-74 (third round). Millwall returned the favour in 2001-02 (third round).

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