Tranmere Rovers 3 v 1 Milwall

Coca-Cola League One

MILLWALL put up a brave fight but fell to promotion chasing Tranmere Rovers.

Chris Hackett's 41st minute strike halved the deficit after quick-fire goals from Gareth Taylor and Chris McCready had the hosts ahead.

Despite good pressure in the second half, Chris Shuker grabbed the decisive third goal on 90 minutes.

The Lions thought they had scored after six minutes when after a goalmouth scramble the ball appeared to cross the line but the referee waved play on.

Tranmere who drew first blood after 20 minutes when Taylor headed home Shuker's cross.

Worse was to follow two minutes later when McCready followed up Lenny Pidgeley's clearance from a corner and drill in the second.

Willie Donachie reacted with a double substitution bringing on Zak Whitbread for Zoumana Bakayogo and Ben May for Poul Hubertz up front.

The striker made an immediate impact and within three minutes of coming on had one close range effort cleared off the line.

But The Lions continued to push forward and on 41 minutes their efforts paid off - Hackett played a one-two with May and tucked the ball past Rovers Gavin Ward to close the gap.

The Lions started the second half in the same determined spirit and Marvin Elliott almost equalised on 48 minutes but failed to keep his shot down.

Millwall came closer still to the elusive equaliser on 65 minutes when Hackett's corner kick was knocked goalwards by Elliott to Paul Robinson whose flick was pushed over by Ward.

Pidgeley made a fine save on 75 minutes to block Taylor's powerful shot from 10 yards and Tranmere almosy scored on 86 minutes but John Mullin's angled shot across the face of goal went just wide of the post.

But the home side tied it all up in the 90th minute when Richard Shaw slipped in the area while making a challenge on Taylor and Shuker ran in to nick the ball and slot it past Pidgeley to put the game beyond the Lions.

MATCH FACTS:

MILLWALL: Pidgeley, Elliott, Robinson, Hackett, Senda, Grant, Zebroski, Shaw, Hubertz (May, 28), Bakayogo (Whitbread, 28), Williams (Morais, 58).

SUBS NOT USED: McInnes, Day.

ATT: 7,114.