Millwall 3-2 Sheffield United: Tom Bradshaw hits second hat-trick of season in thrilling Lions win

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Millwall and Sheffield United at The Den as Tom Bradshaw scored his second hat-trick of the season to earn Gary Rowett's Lions a priceless win in their promotion hunt

Dan Long

Digital football journalist @DanLong__

Saturday 18 February 2023 19:22, UK

Tom Bradshaw scored a brilliant hat-trick as Millwall boosted their promotion hopes and dented Sheffield United's with a thrilling 3-2 win at The Den.

The striker - who had only scored three in his last 16 games in all competitions - got the Lions up and running with a thumping effort after six minutes, but Manchester City loanee Tommy Doyle restored parity with a 30-yard free-kick, which came against the run of play.

Bradshaw then guided in an Andreas Voglsammer cross to restore the hosts' lead, but another City loanee, James McAtee, hit back for a second time with a composed touch and finish following a corner.

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But it was Millwall who had the last laugh, taking all three points to move up to sixth in the Sky Bet Championship table after Bradshaw prodded home late on to complete his second treble of the season.

As a result, the Blades remain in second, but their seven-point lead over third-placed Middlesbrough was trimmed to four after Boro's 3-1 win over QPR later in the day.

How the Lions roared to a potentially monumental victory

It was an electric start from Millwall. Within minutes Bradshaw had tested Wes Foderingham in the Sheffield United goal with a chance he really should have taken, before beating him in the sixth with a far tougher opportunity, receiving a slipped pass into the box from Oliver Burke before thumping it just inside the near post.

Despite all their domination, Millwall failed to find a second, and it allowed United the chance to find an equaliser shortly before half-time, as Doyle's curling free-kick from 30 yards somehow found its way past George Long.

A below-par performance in the first half was put to one side by the Blades after the break, as they increased their intensity and took control of possession, with Daniel Jebbison denied by Long after a smart ball into his feet from Oli McBurnie.

Millwall took the lead for the second time when Voglsammer lifted in a cross for Bradshaw to guide home by way of a deft header, yet they almost ceded the lead again when Basham's connection on a corner was kept out by Long at point-blank range.

With eight minutes left to play, Sheffield United did get back on level terms when Jayden Bogle drove to the bye-line and found McAtee, who showed a cool head to take a touch under pressure and fire into the roof of the net.

Bradshaw then completed his hat-trick to seal a brilliant win for the Lions, prodding home past Foderingham after Voglsammer had again picked him out with an inch-perfect cross.

Player of the match - Tom Bradshaw

The managers

Millwall's Gary Rowett:

"I've just said downstairs that I think on Amazon you can buy fake cameras. I'm going to put them around the ground for every game just to see if I can convince him [Bradsaw] that Sky are at every single home game because he certainly likes playing in front of the cameras. The lads are giving him a bit of stick in there because apparently he blew his missus a kiss live on camera and they're not too happy about that, but you've got to do what you've go to do and make hay while the sun shines if you've scored a hat-trick."

"They [Rowett's parents] were at the game for the first time, and they'll be going 'oh wow, is it like this every time?' I would imagine for anyone that's a neutral, they probably look at that as a fabulous game to watch."

Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom:

"You certainly get what you deserve and we started like the team who played Wednesday night, who travelled and stood in our beds for an early kick-off. But the biggest disappointment, the most frustrating thing, is it's difficult to stop that and turn it round, and we did that.

"We did it at half-time, we did it in the second half, so we were the team, I felt, at 1-1 we quietened the crowd, they were turning when we were on top, so it's disappointing to give the goals away we did. We've given Millwall the game there. We'd shown everything we say we're about - the character, the determination, the drive - but we maybe lost that little bit of composure as well."

What's next?

Millwall are at home to Burnley on Tuesday night in a 7.45pm kick-off. Sheffield United host Watford next Saturday in a 3pm kick-off. Millwall head to Stoke at the same time.