Article #22102

It was the city of Hull where Millwall’s top-flight dreams last came true all the way back in 1988. Kevin O’Callaghan’s penalty at the old Boothferry Park just a mile across town was enough to ensure a 1-0 victory and promotion to the First Division. So with Hull the opponents again and the stakes at their highest, this felt like somewhat of an omen.

But in the end, the events in East Yorkshire this time around nearly 40 years on from one of their greatest triumphs will ultimately be consigned to a footnote in this tie. All the drama and the headlines will instead unfold in south London on Monday evening after a first leg that was littered with tension, but shy of genuine moments that could decide the promotion fortunes of these teams.