GARY Rowett believes that Norwich City were fortunate to pick up all three points at The Den this afternoon, explaining that some unfortunate moments went against his side.
Millwall took the lead early in the first-half through Tom Bradshaw, but they were pegged back seven minutes before half-time when Jacob Sorensen scored from a clever corner routine. The midfielder’s shot flicked of Zian Flemming’s foot and bounced in off the gloves of goalkeeper George Long.
The Canaries’ second goal also came from a short corner, which was played into the box by Onel Hernandez. His cross flicked into the net off Bradshaw’s shin for an own-goal, putting the visitors ahead in the 55th minute.
Goals from Gabriel Sara and Flemming set up a grandstand finale in SE16, but the Lions were unable to find an equaliser as their lengthy unbeaten run at home came to an end.
“There were a couple of things that probably played a factor today in some ways,” Rowett said after the match.
“Obviously we had the midweek game, Norwich didn’t. I think Norwich are on a really good up-turn of form with David [Wagner] coming in as manager, I think they’ve been in impressive form recently and I think they’re an impressive side.
“If you look at it, they’re a good side and they move the ball well. I think they’re probably up there with Burnley in terms of having both sides to the game on their day – I thought they were a really good side.
“It was pretty similar at times to the Sheffield United game, that sort of home game where people probably don’t expect us to go and get a result. I thought we were excellent in the first 30 minutes, we pressed Norwich really well and caused a very technical team a lot of problems with the way we won the ball back.
“We scored a very good goal through Bradders, a great bit of play. It shows he’s oozing confidence at the moment in those goalscoring positions, a lovely, lovely finish. 1-0 up, of course, is a position that we’ve been quite comfortable in for a long time.
“I think the hard bit is when you’re playing against a really good side. I think we had a chance, Burkey, not long after that, where he flashes one just wide of the post. At that point, to be 1-0 up, I thought the performance was excellent.
“Then we concede a really poor goal. There’s a couple of little bits of fortune that went against us today, sometimes that happens in games and it leads you to being disappointed because it doesn’t necessarily reflect the performance completely.
“It’s a corner where they get runners away. They get the shot in, but actually the shot doesn’t look like it’s going to cause us any problems. I think Zian is just in front of Longy – and if Zian clears it, no problem, if Zian leaves it, Longy clears it, no problem.
“What you don’t want is for it just to flick off Zian’s foot and for him to almost slice it over the top of Longy. I’d have to watch it again, but it looks like he just got a touch.
“Then we probably had a 15, 20 minute spell where Norwich started to use that confidence and pin us back in with their possession. We had a tough 15 minutes before half-time.
“In the second half, I thought we came out really competitive again. What you don’t want to do is give a goal away at that moment, at that point. Again, it’s a quick corner, they run off us where we have a chance, he’s just got to stay with the player and not let him get in.
“They run off us, put the ball in and it hits Bradders on the shin and goes in. Again, to be 2-1 down at that point is hugely disappointing because I thought we worked incredibly hard to be in the game.”
Photo: Millwall FC