GARY Rowett was pleased by the way his side performed against Middlesbrough this afternoon, but highlighted a lack of quality in the final third for the main reason for the defeat.
The Lions were lucky not to be behind going into half-time, but the pressure became too much just four minutes after the break when Marcus Forss beat Murray Wallace and rifled the ball into the bottom corner.
They pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the latter stages of the game, but ultimately managed just two shots on target.
“I thought it was a difficult game,” Rowett said after the game.
“I thought we did a lot of things really, really well. We showed again that we’re a tough side to play against, a difficult side to play against. What you’re hoping for is that one moment in the game goes for you rather than against you.
“Obviously they’re going to have more possession than us, they’re going to have moments where the crowd lift and there’s that little bit of excitement as they break, but I think George Long hasn’t had loads and loads of saves to make. He makes a good one in the first half.
“We have an incredibly moment in the first half where we’re four v. one on the transition and it kind of summed that last little bit up where, rather than [Callum] Stylesy taking that in his path and putting someone in, it hits the back of his heel and goes the other way. You always feel that those moments are huge coming to a place like this. Michael [Carrick] has got them playing really well, he’s got a real positive feel about the place and their form has been excellent.
“I think to more than match them and probably have as many moments of chances, of shots, of attacking positions. Ours are always slightly different with set pieces mixed in there, their’s are a lot of breakaways in space where they’ve got the quality.
“That was the difference today. They get a little break where they have a shot, it hits Murray [Wallace] and ricochets inside. Then the lad reacts quickly and it’s a brilliant finish.
“We have a moment up the other end in the second half where Zian [Flemming] does brilliantly. I think it’s [Ryan] Giles that comes across, not intentionally, but he almost swings his arm to stop Zi and hits him in the face. Zi carries on, probably too honest for his own good, and we don’t quite score, whereas I think it’s probably a penalty if he goes down. I can’t criticise the player for being honest.
“We huffed and puffed, we had some good moments, some good pressure, but we couldn’t find that little bit of quality. That’s our season. We’ve worked so hard, we’re difficult to play against, there’s so much I would be proud of the team for today, it’s just that extra bit of quality that wins you games like that. We couldn’t find it, they could.”
Photo: Millwall FC