MILLWALL boss Neil Harris has paid tribute to the supporters who made the trip to Bristol City last Sunday – and said his Lions side are “giving their all” despite “horrendous misfortune”.
There were officially 612 Lions fans at Ashton Gate for the earlier kick-off in Bristol, and they defiantly chanted ‘No one likes us’ after the final whistle after seeing their team battle back to claim a point.
Harris and his players acknowledged the support and the “great effort” the travelling hordes made to ensure they got to the stadium in time for the 1.30pm kick-off.
Harris said supporters have a staff and group of players that “love the club” as they try to climb out of the relegation zone when they face Hull City at The Den this Saturday.
“First and foremost we appreciated on a Sunday the fans making the trip there. Nearly 700 fans going to Bristol early on a Sunday is a great effort,” Harris said.
“I thought that they were excellent throughout the game, as they have been all season.
“It wasn’t pretty at times and we went back to basics. I thought we achieved what I wanted us to achieve from the game. The players delivered the game plan brilliantly.
“For 25 minutes against Birmingham we weren’t good enough at The Den. That was probably the first time this season that that was the case.
“What the fans see at the moment is a team that is giving their all but is suffering horrendous misfortune. Not just with injuries to every attacking player that we have but also the ball finding its way into our net through the slightest of error or an own goal.
“All we can do is keep working hard.
“The fans know they’ve got a team that cares and a staff that love the club. I think it was just a bit of mutual appreciation that we’re in this together and we’ve got to keep ticking along.
“It’s been a tough period because we’re not getting the reward we deserve. Ultimately if we had defended our goal better after the 90th minute of games we would have another 10 or 11 points this season.
“That’s not been the case so where we are is where we deserve to be. It’s about embracing that and moving forward and being better. Over the previous years we’ve found a way of being better and I know I’ll find a way of making us better.
“Whether the bad luck continues, the bad luck with injuries continues, it’s my job to make sure whatever team I put on the pitch puts in a Millwall performance – and that’ll be the case on Saturday.”
Image: Millwall FC