Four takeaways from Millwall’s 2-1 loss to Peterborough – poor goals conceded, away form wobbling and Bradshaw repays the faith
BY ALEX GRACE
Millwall lost back-to-back away Championship games for the first time this season after going down 2-1 at Peterborough United on Saturday afternoon.
Tom Bradshaw gave the Lions the lead, finishing off a well-worked Lions counter- attack.
Despite creating untold amounts of chances, it took until the 64th minute for Posh to draw level.
Danny McNamara got the unfortunate final touch as he tried to shut down Jonson Clark-Harris. Clarke-Harris proved to be the difference as he got the winner after some more poor Millwall defending.
Here are Alex Grace’s four takeaways from the game.
MORE POOR GOALS CONCEDED
It’s the same old story in terms of how this season is unfolding for Millwall. They have been conceding some very poor goals and these two were no different. The Lions had been on the back foot for so much of the contest. The introduction of Clarke-Harris gave them that final bit they needed to finally crack the code.
The amount of territory that Millwall conceded to a side that had not won for six matches and not even scored in five of them was extremely disappointing. It was wave after wave of attack without any reply – the warning signs were there for the 2,300-plus fans in the away end and their worst fears became a reality. Everyone knew as soon as the equaliser came, they would get another. No defence, no matter how good they were at times, can sustain that level of pressure.
INCONSISTENCY STRIKES AGAIN
As much as conceding poor goals has been a story this season, so has inconsistency. You just never know which Millwall is going to turn up. If you look at the side which turned up against Birmingham, free-flowing and attacking, and then compare that to the side that turned up at London Road then they could not be any more different. They looked scared to get a foothold in the game. Siriki Dembele is a very good player and Millwall simply could not deal with him.
The players panicked as soon as Dembele got close to the 18-yard box. He won foul after foul as the Lions defence and midfield just did not know how to deal with him. Five bookings were picked up by Rowett’s men which is very unusual – two of those bookings were for fouls on Dembele.
The inconsistent nature of Millwall’s performances is frustrating. Lions manager Gary Rowett described it as a ‘tepid’ performance. The fans showed their frustration at the end of the game and understandably so.
AWAY DAY BLUES
When Gary Rowett arrived in SE16 he revitalised the club’s away form. This season it seems to have tailed off. The Lions have lost four of their 10 away games and in all of them they have been quite considerably second best. At Huddersfield it was the same story, constant waves of attack and a poor goal conceded right at the death. They let in two very poor goals at Hull and Cardiff scored with three set-pieces.
These are mistakes that were not being made away from home in the past. Millwall were a very solid outfit that only did not concede many goals but did not concede many chances. It seems to have flipped. Home form was poor previously but now it’s the away day blues that seem to have set in.
To get in and around those play-off places that will need to change.
TOM BRADSHAW SCORES AGAIN
There were not many positives to take from this defeat but one of them is another goal for Bradshaw. The Welshman has hit a purple patch for the Lions and is arguably playing his best football since he joined the club. It’s now three goals in three games and five for the season. After having so many frustrating periods in his time at The Den it’s fantastic to see him doing well. He has now beaten his tally for the whole of last season.
If you give him a regular run in the side, and some decent service, he will reward you. We’re seeing that at the moment.
