MILLWALL captain Alex Pearce urged the team to “move on” from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Blackburn – and promised the side would be “up for it” in their London derby against QPR next Saturday.
The Lions suffered their second league defeat this season when they lost at Ewood Park.
“Frustrating afternoon for everyone,” Pearce admitted. “I don’t really feel we did too much wrong, but I think when you’re a bit off it in terms of the whole group, things can go against you and we went down to what we think was a great strike from their left-sided centre-half in the first half.
“I think we played well at times especially in the first half. To be going in 1-0 down at half-time I felt we were a bit unlucky, but second half we need to do better. We conceded too many chances, possibly because we were going for it too early, so it’s a frustrating afternoon for everyone, but we have to lick our wounds and go again. You don’t too high when you win and you don’t get too low when you lose.
“In this division, when you’re a little bit off it you can get found out. We need to do better in the final third, we need to create more chances to score goals and, also, we need to minimise the chances we give away especially in the second half.
“In the first half I thought we didn’t give too much away, we were pretty solid. In the second half I think perhaps because we were going for it a little bit too early, we opened up and we conceded a few chances. They got the second goal and then it’s a tough battle, but even so I still fancied us to try and score a goal. But we just couldn’t get that goal that we were trying so hard for.”
Millwall boss Neil Harris admitted to being surprised that counterpart Tony Mowbray played a three-man defence.
Pearce continued: “I think we adapted really well. I thought we pressed them really well but then they changed in the second half to a 4-3-3 which made it more difficult for us.
“I think they were better with that shape and that suited them so regarding the three at the back I don’t think that gave us many problems. We need to move on from this because we have a big game next Saturday.
“The first goal is a fantastic strike, we could have done better in the build-up. The second goal again we could have done better in the build-up. The lads are devastated in there, they know we have to do better, we have to defend better and, also, we need to be better in the final third.”
Harris gave full league debuts to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Jayson Molumby.
“They’ll be better for those minutes under their belt even though it’s a loss for the team,” Pearce added. “Everyone is disappointed in there, but we need to look forward to a good week’s training, learn from it and move on
“It will be a cracking atmosphere, a London derby at The Den, the fans will be up for it and we will be as players as well
“We need to show a response and bounce back from [Saturday].”
Image: Millwall FC