BBC Sportfootball

By David Ornstein

Millwall beat Swindon but were forced to settle for a place in the League One play-offs after Leeds overcame Bristol Rovers to seal automatic promotion.

Swindon, who were also in contention to go straight up, went ahead early on when Danny Ward volleyed home.

But hosts Millwall levelled after Shaun Batt was fouled by Jonathon Douglas and Steve Morison scored from the spot.

Gordon Greer put into his own net and Morrison hit a deflected third before Billy Paynter's header pulled one back.

The result was a fair reflection of a ferociously-contested match and both sides will go into the play-offs - in which Millwall will face Huddersfield and Swindon will play Charlton - in confident mood.

But there was a sense of deflation around the New Den at full-time after it emerged that Leeds had come from behind to take three points against Rovers and seal second place.

Millwall and Swindon each started the day on 82 points, one point adrift of Leeds and still very much in contention for automatic promotion.

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on Millwall's victory over Swindon and both team's play-off chances

With so much potentially at stake, the match got off to a pulsating start, and only three minutes were on the clock when Swindon struck.

Millwall failed to clear a Douglas free-kick and Ward, on loan from Bolton, volleyed into the bottom corner for his seventh goal this season.

It was a strike that stunned the home crowd but not the Lions, who went straight on the attack and were rewarded for a high-tempo brand of pass-and-move football.

Batt, at the heart of most of Millwall's early forays into opposition territory, drove into the Swindon box but was hauled down by Douglas and Morison sent visiting keeper David Lucas the wrong way from the spot.

The home side immediately pressed for a second and Darren Ward's header was tipped to safety before Liam Trotter nodded over from a Scott Barron cross.

Neither side could sustain the frenetic tempo as half-time neared but, shortly after the break, news of a Rovers goal at Leeds began to filter through and it breathed new life into the game.

The New Den was rocking again and half-chances came and went at both ends before Morison raced up the right wing and whipped in a low cross that Greer diverted into his own net.

By now Leeds had equalised against Rovers but, as things stood, Millwall were in possession of second place.

That changed when 10-man Leeds went 2-1 up and suddenly the atmosphere fell flat.

Swindon should have levelled - top-scorer Paynter drilling over from close range - and the visitors were swiftly punished for that miss as Morison looped a half-volley beyond Lucas via a deflection off Greer's arm.

There was still time for Charlie Austin to miss a glorious opportunity after Paynter flicked on Alan Sheehan's cross, and Paynter to deflect home Sheehan's free-kick, but Millwall held on.

Millwall boss Kenny Jackett told BBC London 94.9:

"It was a good win for us and a very good standard game.

"We did well to comeback from 1-0 down early on and win the game.

"Unfortunately things didn't go well for us elsewhere in the country but we have to get over that quickly and now be positive and push for the play-offs."

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