LEE Gregory admitted “I drowned my sorrows” after last year’s play-off final defeat – and said he would do “everything” to avoid the same disappointment this weekend.
The Lions missed out on promotion a year ago when they lost 3-1 to Barnsley at Wembley, but have another shot at going up when they face Bradford this Saturday.
Gregory scored in both legs of last year’s play-off semi-finals as Millwall defeated the Bantams 4-2 on aggregate.
He was also on target against them in the 1-1 draw at Valley Parade in January.
Bradford had the option to sign Gregory from Halifax Town in the summer of 2014, but wouldn’t stump up the fee.
Gregory joined Millwall for £250,000 instead, and he admits there is no love lost with Bantam fans.
“They don’t like me,” he said. “Every time I play up there I get a lot of stick. I presume I’ll get some more stick on Saturday.
“It’s massive. Losing [at Wembley] is probably one of the worst feelings you can have in football. I’ve been there supporting Sheffield United at Wembley when they lost. It’s worse when you’re playing, 10 times worse. I don’t want that feeling again.
“I’m going to try everything, everything, not to have that feeling again. I drowned my sorrows for a few days [last year]. It took a couple of days to get over it but then you start looking towards the new season.”
Gregory was asked if he had “unfinished business” in the Championship, after playing just one season there, and scoring nine league goals, following his move to the Lions.
“I wouldn’t say unfinished business, it’s just another chance,” he said. “I thought I did well. I think if we’d stayed up that year we’d still be there now.
“Millwall is a big club. Once they get up there they have the foundations to stay up there.”
If Millwall are to get on top of Bradford, much will depend on the performances of Gregory and his strike partner Steve Morison, who have four goals and four assists between them in the last three games.
“We’ve been asked this numerous times this week and we’ve both said we don’t know how it works,” Gregory said. “Something just clicks.
“We never work on it in training, we’re usually on different teams. The gaffer takes me and Steve for finishing, but that’s about it.
“As soon as we go out onto the pitch, he knows his job, I know my job. I know what I’m good at, I know what I’m not good at, and it just seems to work.”
Lions centre-back Byron Webster believes Gregory and Morison are key for their side. He said: “They set the tone for the whole team, there’s no getting away from it. The two up there are the focal point for us.
“There aren’t many better partnerships up top in this league. They’re massive for us.”
Image: Millwall FC