Handshakes all round

Millwall and Bournemouth contrive to gift each other goals in a bizarre example of good sportsmanship.

BBC Sport's Mark Mitchener attempts to explain this unprecedented outbreak of fair play.

Football managers are always quick to bemoan their luck when they gift the other side a goal.

But Sue Barker and A Question Of Sport will be kicking themselves that they were not at the New Den on Tuesday afternoon to record what would surely be a perfect 'What Happened Next?' sequence.

Light years away from the Premiership, Millwall's reserves were facing Bournemouth in the Avon Insurance Combination.

The comedy began when Bournemouth's Ryan Woolfenden and Danny Thomas collided with each other.

When play resumed after the pair had received treatment, the Lions sportingly thought to return possession to their opponents.

Mark Hicks then obligingly knocked the ball towards where he thought Bournemouth keeper Michael Menetrier was.

Handshakes

However, the French custodian was out of his goal and either unsighted or unaware of what was transpiring - and as the ball slowly trickled over the line, the referee was obliged to give a goal.

I just said to the lads: 'You've got to let them score to make it even again'

Millwall reserve coach Joe McLaughlin

Not to be outdone, Millwall's players then stood still at the re-start, allowing Cherries striker Amos Foyewa a clear run on goal.

He duly obliged to make it 1-1, before a few handshakes were exchanged.

With normality restored, the rest of the game went ahead, with Ben May's free-kick eventually winning it for the home side.

But Millwall's reserve coach Joe McLaughlin is surely the next recipient of a FIFA Fair Play award after his explanation of the events.

"Hicksy was trying to give it back to Bournemouth, which was only fair since they'd put it out of play for players to receive treatment," he told the Lions' website.

"There was no way that we should have been one up from that situation, so I just said to the lads, 'You've got to let them score to make it even again.'

"It was a silly situation, but I'm sure most teams would have done the same."

Currently languishing dangerously near to the Division Two drop zone, Bournemouth will be hoping to receive similar acts of charity in their remaining league games.