Gary Rowett frustrated to see Millwall throw away a two-goal lead

Posted Wednesday, March 01, 2023 by PA

Millwall boss Gary Rowett was frustrated to only pick up a point at Luton after letting a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2.

Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw had given the Lions a healthy advantage with 52 minutes gone, before Elijah Adebayo and Luke Berry netted to salvage the Hatters a point.

Rowett said: “If you reflect on being 2-0 up pretty late in the game then you’re always going to be disappointed not to win the game.

“I think being 2-0 up was probably a slightly unfair reflection on the game and on Luton. We scored a fortuitous goal.

“It’s a good strike, the keeper clearly made a mistake for it, maybe then we just drop and invite pressure and Luton are very good at putting the ball in our box and keeping that physicality and energy.

“At half-time I said ‘this is not a game we can sit in, we’ve got to move the ball’ and I thought second half for about 20-25 minutes we showed a little bit more quality on the ball.

“To go 2-0 up, we’re in a good position and the two moments we just don’t defend very well and get out to the ball quick enough, so that was the disappointment.

“Would I have taken a point before the game? Possibly. But being 2-0 up you’re always going to be disappointed.”

It took the Lions four minutes to take the lead when Flemming’s shot squirmed through Ethan Horvath’s gloves.

Millwall were 2-0 up after 52 minutes when an offside-looking George Honeyman crossed for Bradshaw to tap home.

The Hatters were back in it six minutes later when Cody Drameh hit the crossbar and Adebayo flicked in the rebound, before they levelled with three minutes left. Jordan Clark fed Berry and he found the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Hatters boss Rob Edwards said: “I said to the lads ‘pick your heads up, come on, that’s a really good point’.

“To give a team like that, who are very well drilled, really well structured, a two-goal head start and if someone had offered me then a 2-2 draw then I would have taken it, I think we all would have.

“I’m really proud of the lads, the way they responded, tried to do the right things against a really good team, but it’s what we deserved by the way, at the very least, so let me get that bit clear as well.

“The response to the setback was great, but you would expect that from our lads, they’ve got strong character and they’ve shown a lot of resilience already this season.”