Blackburn late show stuns Millwall

Lynne Cameron/PA Wire/Press Association Images

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Millwall's hopes of Championship survival were dealt a huge blow after two late goals were enough to give Blackburn Rovers a 2-0 win.

Rudy Gestede's sumptuous volley in the 78th minute finally broke the deadlock for Rovers and substitute Jordan Rhodes settled it in injury time, catching an increasingly desperate Millwall side on the break.

For Millwall it was a case of so near, yet so far. Indeed, had they been able to call upon strikers as prolific as the Blackburn duo, they might have been celebrating a welcome win in their survival battle because they created a host of chances in the first half when Martyn Woolford twice went close and the same player saw an effort cleared off the line in the second.

But ultimately it was a damaging defeat for the visitors, who have lost five of their last seven away games and are third from bottom four points away from safety.

Gary Bowyer made six changes from the draw with Nottingham Forest, including a first start for Paul Taylor. Ricardo Fuller came in for one of two changes from the Cardiff stalemate.

The visitors made an encouraging start, with Woolford dragging a shot wide and Alan Dunne's effort inches wide of providing a spectacular opening in the first five minutes.

Blackburn's first real sight of goal came after 13 minutes when Taylor showed good footwork to weave away from the Millwall defence but he shot straight at David Forde.

Three chances fell in the closing exchanges of the first half. Woolford's 20-yard drive was pouched by Steele, while Forde was forced into a flying save by Taylor's curling effort.

But Millwall went agonisingly close through Jimmy Abdou's glancing header that drifted wide.

They went even closer a minute after the restart when Woolford showed great tenacity to hook an effort goalwards from the left of the area but Tommy Spurr was on hand to clear off the line.

And Rovers almost made Millwall pay the ultimate price when Chris Brown met Marshall's cross but his looping header came back off the crossbar.

Paris Cowan-Hall could have made a hero of himself when ghosting behind Marshall but when one-on-one, his shot was well saved by Steele.

Gestede showed the visitors how it is done with his first chance of the game 12 minutes from time as Craig Conway's inswinging cross glanced off a Millwall defender towards the back post and the striker emphatically volleyed home his 20th of the season.

Cairney saw a goalbound effort blocked moments later before O'Brien missed gilt-edged chance in the closing moments when he shot straight at Steele with the goal at his mercy.

And Rhodes compounded the misery in injury time by slotting home his 19th of the season on the break.