Hull City Reach Championship Play-off Final After 2-0 Win at Millwall

Hull City reach Championship play-off final with 2-0 win at Millwall

Hull City will face either Southampton or Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday May 23 after a 2-0 second-leg win at Millwall sealed a 2-0 aggregate victory. Mohamed Belloumi and substitute Joe Gelhardt scored the goals at The Den.

Result: Millwall 0-2 Hull City (agg: 0-2)
Goals: Mohamed Belloumi 64', Joe Gelhardt 79'
Competition: EFL Championship play-off semi-final, second leg
Venue: The Den, London
Final: Saturday May 23 at Wembley
Opposition: Southampton or Middlesbrough

What was said

"It's an amazing feeling. We were fantastic today. It was a very difficult, demanding game. We knew they'd start well, but we responded well and now we're going to Wembley. I have had great success as a coach until now, winning championships and everything, but this is maybe number one because of all the problems we had through the season, with so many injuries and, like I said, the embargo. This is maybe the best thing that has happened in football in my life."
— Sergej Jakirovic, Hull City boss, speaking to Sky Sports

"What do you do, not bring anybody on? Do you know what I mean? Your job as a player is to come on, be up to the speed of the game and do your job properly. You don't do it the other way, do you? If they come on and score immediately, you don't say, 'Oh well, he wouldn't have been up to the speed of the game.' That doesn't come into my thinking. The lads that come on the pitch and the lads that start the game should be fit and ready and available."
— Alex Neil, Millwall boss, on the introduction of Alfie Doughty before Hull's opener

"A lot of observers would have thought, it's Millwall at home, it's obvious they are going to win and get to Wembley. But with the way Hull play, it's not about dominating the ball, it's about individuals who can change the course of matches. They've done it all season long, that's why they got into the play-offs and that's why they've got through this second leg. They were magnificent tonight. They had a bit of a sticky patch in the first half but I just think they controlled the midfield, they were devastating when the subs came on and they thoroughly deserve their day at Wembley. Southampton and Middlesbrough will do their homework on Hull, but you've got to be so wary of them. They have shown all season, if you underestimate them or don't plan for the way they play, you will come unstuck."
— Andy Hinchcliffe, Sky Sports, at The Den

"It's Millwall and they are always going to be realistic. If you get a £15-20m offer for Femi Azeez he's going. You have to take it, in my opinion. If you want to build with that money, that's fine but, unfortunately, we speak about teams that are already coming down from the Premier League - Wolves and Burnley are coming down and potentially Spurs or West Ham - with big budgets and we don't know where that's going to go. Are Millwall going to be able to compete with them? No. This was the best year for everybody. This was the most open year. You're not going to get a Sheffield United that were as bad as this year, Norwich are going to be better next year. All these teams are going to improve. It's not an opportunity missed because they could come again, but you're going to need to add that quality because next season people are going to have an eye on Millwall. They are not going to take them for granted."
— Curtis Davies, Sky Sports Football, on Millwall's future

Jakirovic's words carry the weight of a campaign that nearly went wrong. Hull stayed up on the final day of last season and have operated under a transfer embargo, yet they have overcome those obstacles to sit one game from the Premier League.

Neil's response to questions about Doughty was pointed. The Millwall boss refused to accept that a substitution cost his side the tie, instead placing responsibility on the players to be ready when called upon. His answer reveals a manager unwilling to hide behind excuses after a home defeat.

Hinchcliffe's assessment highlights the tactical identity that has carried Hull this far. They do not rely on possession; they rely on individuals who can change matches in a moment. That approach was vindicated when Belloumi and Gelhardt combined for the second goal.

Davies offered a wider view. He believes Millwall must sell if a significant offer arrives for Femi Azeez, and warns that relegated Premier League clubs with big budgets will make the Championship even harder next season. He namechecked Wolves and Burnley as coming down, with Spurs or West Ham potentially joining them.

Why Hull's counter-attacking blueprint works

The decisive moment came from a clinical counter. Mohamed Belloumi raced forward before skidding a ball across the box for Joe Gelhardt, who had just been introduced as a substitute. Gelhardt showed composure to hit a low shot that squirmed through the hands of Anthony Patterson and over the line. It was a goal that summed up Hull's approach: absorb pressure, then strike with speed and precision.

Belloumi was at the heart of both goals. For the opener, Matt Crooks found him, and he cut inside in the box to curl home a brilliant finish. That moment broke a deadlock that had lasted until the 64th minute of the second leg, following a goalless first leg. Hull's midfield control, as noted by Hinchcliffe, allowed them to wait for their moments rather than chase the game.

Millwall's decision to introduce Alfie Doughty for Zak Sturge midway through the second half backfired immediately, as Doughty was beaten by Belloumi for the first goal. Neil dismissed the idea that this was a tactical error, but the timing was cruel. Hull's substitutes, by contrast, made an instant impact, with Gelhardt sealing the tie 15 minutes after the opener.

For Hull, the challenge now is to replicate this formula at Wembley. Southampton or Middlesbrough will study the footage, but as Hinchcliffe warned, planning for Hull's style is one thing; stopping it is another.

Talking points

Hull City have reached Wembley despite a transfer embargo and a season-long injury crisis. Is this the greatest achievement in the club's recent history?
Alex Neil refused to blame Alfie Doughty for the first goal, but the substitution directly preceded it. Did Neil get the timing wrong?
Curtis Davies says Millwall must sell Femi Azeez if a £15-20m offer arrives. Should they cash in or build around him?
Hull's counter-attacking style relies on individuals. Will that be enough against Southampton or Middlesbrough at Wembley?

What happens next

Hull City will face either Southampton or Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final on Saturday May 23 at Wembley. Victory would return the Tigers to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. Millwall, meanwhile, must regroup for another Championship season, with questions over the futures of key players like Femi Azeez.