NO GOALS, no reward. That was the simple but depressing outcome for both sides as Ipswich, a year after losing their Premiership place, failed to claim a promotion play-off spot and Millwall, having led the First Division five months ago, were relegated.

Leicester's victory at Watford denied Ipswich and Portsmouth's triumph over Huddersfield put paid to Millwall's hopes of avoiding the drop. But it was the home side's lack of guile when confronted with a massed defence and the Londoners' total absence of adventure that decided the fates of the respective clubs. A dreary stalemate seemed on the cards from the outset.

Using Chris Malkin as their sole striker, Millwall showed excessive caution for a team for whom victory was essential. Ipswich, equally deperate for three points but for very different reasons, were allowed to make all the running.

However, Ian Marshall revealed the first signs of frayed nerves in a match where the tension was always bound to be high, when he volleyed wildly over the bar from 10 yards following Keith Stevens's misplaced header.

Millwall threatened only once at the other end when Micky Weir's corner was flicked on only for Marshall to help out his back line by heading clear at the far post.

Millwall did briefly throw more men forward but their early second-half surge produced only a tame header from James Connor following Weir's free-kick.

Once again Ipswich resumed control with Alex Mathie almost profiting from Ben Thatcher's under-hit back pass. But they never had the imagination to find a way through and the nearest they came to a goal was a 74th-minute effort by substitute James Scowcroft. Inevitably, Simon Milton was the source of the cross and, though Scowcroft's delicately placed header looped past Keller, it bounced against a post.

Millwall manager Jimmy Nicholl said: "I'm not looking for excuses and I know what's wrong here. It's just that we're now a year behind schedule in our ambitions."

In the short term, however, Millwall's future is in tatters, like the remains of several plastic seats their supporters ripped up and hurled on to the field after the final whistle.

Daily Telegraph