“We’re not going to start attaching blame” – Gary Rowett reveals his disappointment after Millwall’s play-off hopes end

Gary Rowett has made it clear that no blame would be attached to Bart Bialkowski for Millwall’s defeat at QPR yesterday.

The Poland goalkeeper has been one of the club’s standout performers this season and had kept 16 clean sheets prior to the weekend’s reverse in west London which killed off the Lions’ play-off hopes.

Ryan Manning’s 52nd-minute strike slipped under Bialkowski to put QPR 2-1 ahead, just three minutes after Matt Smith had restored parity.

The Lions went on to lose 4-3.

Rowett said: “Bart has been incredible for us all season. We’re not going to start attaching blame to people.

“But the simple fact is I’m sure he’d have been disappointed with the second goal. And I think it was the timing of it really, the fact we’d just got back into the game – you could see our tails were up.

“We had that zip and enthusiasm back about us that we didn’t have in the first half. Then to go 2-1 down so quickly, that was the disappointment.

“But these things happen, we’ve got to certainly learn from it.

“But what I certainly don’t want us to do is play the sort of ‘little old Millwall card, who don’t deserve to be there’. We deserve to be where we are. And when you’re there and you’ve worked so hard we’ve got to try and capitalise on the opportunity.

“Unfortunately today we didn’t show the relevant work ethic, relevant desire and relevant quality to get a result out of the game. That’s what I’m disappointed with because I know the players can do that.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD