Hull Beat Millwall 2-0 to Reach Championship Playoff Final

Millwall’s home playoff curse continues as Hull advance

Hull City are one match from the Premier League after a clinical 2-0 win over Millwall, with Joe Gelhardt and Belloumi combining late to seal it.

Goals from Belloumi and Gelhardt sealed a 2-0 away win for Hull, putting them 90 minutes from a third playoff promotion this century...

Hull City took a 2-0 win over Millwall at The Den in the playoff semi-final second leg, with Mohamed Belloumi scoring once and setting up another. The result puts them one game away from a third Championship playoff promotion this century.

The victory also extended Millwall’s record of losing every Championship playoff tie they’ve played at home.

Although Millwall came into the game unbeaten in six and with four wins in their last six at home, they spent the opening minutes under pressure as Hull chased a repeat of their playoff runs in 2008 and 2016.

Hull won several corners that came to nothing, but Charlie Hughes came closest with a header that drifted just wide of the far post. That let Millwall off the hook. Given only Coventry scored more away goals in the first 15 minutes during the regular season than Hull’s seven, the hosts were fortunate to still be level.

Millwall responded after Hughes’ chance and nearly went ahead two minutes later when Femi Azeez shot from a tight angle in their first real attack.

They then controlled the rest of the first half. After Thierno Ballo’s tackle forced Kyle Joseph off with an ankle injury, Ballo himself went close to breaking the deadlock, but a cross from the right just missed his outstretched foot.

Millwall had conceded 20 of their 25 home league goals this season in the second half, and that trend nearly continued in the 48th minute. Hull carved out a clear chance when quick passing and a good run from Regan Slater set up Oli McBurnie, but his near-post shot was blocked by Tristan Crama. Neither side came that close again before the hour mark. With Millwall manager Alex Neil chasing just his second win in seven meetings with Hull, he made changes, bringing on Alfie Doughty among others.

That substitution backfired almost immediately. Doughty hadn’t had time to get up to speed and Hull took the lead barely a minute later.

Matt Crooks found Belloumi with a sharp pass out to the right, and the Algerian cut inside before curling a left-footed strike into the far corner beyond Doughty and Anthony Patterson – the keeper who won last year’s playoff final with Sunderland.

Things could have unraveled quickly for Millwall after that. Barry Bannan, who won the playoffs with Blackpool in 2010 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2023, gave the ball away cheaply in midfield. Belloumi picked it up and played in Liam Millar, but Jake Cooper reacted well to deflect the Canadian’s shot over the bar.

That block from Cooper didn’t matter for long. With 12 minutes left, Hull doubled their lead. Joe Gelhardt’s impact off the bench was instant, and it was the opposite of Doughty’s. Belloumi collected the ball on the right and delivered a perfectly weighted pass across goal with the outside of his boot.

Gelhardt made no mistake, slotting low into the bottom-right corner even though Patterson got a hand to it.

There was no way back for Millwall. After missing out on automatic promotion earlier this month, they’ll have to wait another year for a shot at the Premier League, a division they haven’t played in since being relegated in 1990.

THERE IT IS!!!!#hcafc pic.twitter.com/gdkIhP1HDY

— Hull City (@HullCity) May 11, 2026

The signs look better for Hull. They’ve never been knocked out in the Championship playoffs, and after pulling off a last-day escape from relegation just last year, another ruthless display at Wembley on 23rd May could see them seal promotion. The Premier League is now only 90 minutes away.