LEEDS United midfielder Kemar Roofe admitted the Den factor played a part in his side’s defeat to Millwall – and said the atmosphere on Saturday was “massive”.
Roofe – who scored twice for Oxford at The Den in the first leg of the Football League Trophy semi-final in January 2016 – was a half-time substitute after Leeds were outplayed in the opening 45 minutes.
But he couldn’t help his side swing the momentum against the dominant hosts, who finally took a deserved lead though Aiden O’Brien’s 73rd-minute winner.
It could have been worse for Leeds, after Millwall had Steve Morison’s goal ruled out for offside and Jed Wallace struck a post.
Roofe said: “They were up for it and their fans were going at it. The atmosphere was massive and they got behind their team. It possibly played a part but we could have done better.”
It was a first defeat for boss Thomas Chritiansen with the club he took charge of in the summer.
Leeds are still top of the Championship, and Christiansen had no complaints about Saturday’s defeat.
“The plan for this game was clear,” Christiansen said. “We knew it would be a direct aggressive game with fast transition in attack but we were not able to stop it or go into the battle with the same intensity.”
Image: Millwall FC