Emnes at double to boost promotion bid

The Dutch striker took his tally for the season to 14 with a first-half brace to sink shot-shy Millwall.

The Teessiders had slipped out of the npower Championship play-off spots after a run of seven games without a win, but they followed up their weekend victory over Nottingham Forest with another three points.

Millwall had scored just once in the league at home since November and did not remotely look like adding to that tally until Darius Henderson struck against the run of play before half-time.

But they could not find a leveller despite a spirited second-half performance, and a late strike from substitute Curtis Main condemned them to another defeat.

Boro could have been three up in the opening five minutes but for some wayward finishing.

Lukas Jutkiewicz fired narrowly wide before his scuffed effort in front of goal was clawed away by David Forde and Emnes headed Barry Robson’s cross over.

The goal they had threatened duly arrived in the 14th minute from another corner by Robson.

Unmarked Rhys Williams hooked the ball back towards goal from the corner of the six-yard box and Emnes deflected it past the unsighted Forde.

While there was a touch of fortune about Emnes’s first goal, there was nothing lucky about his second in the 38th minute.

Emnes collected Robson’s pass 35 yards out, skipped past Harry Kane’s challenge on the edge of the area and thumped a superb low shot past Forde.

Boro wrapped up the points four minutes from time when Julio Arca crossed and teenager Main crashed a powerful shot past Forde and high into the net.

Millwall: Forde, Smith, Robinson, Lowry, Barron (Dunne 46), Feeney (Henry 85), Trotter, Wright (Abdou 46), Kane, Keogh, Henderson. Unused substitutes: Allsop, N’Guessan.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Bates, Hines, Bennett, Haroun (Main 65), Rhys Williams, Robson (McMahon 86), Arca, Jutkiewicz, Emnes (Smallwood 82). Unused substitutes: Ogbeche, Martin.

Referee: J Linnington (Isle of Wight).