Neil Harris stays upbeat after Millwall are frustrated at QPR

Posted Saturday, September 21, 2024 by PA

Millwall boss Neil Harris was determined to adopt a positive attitude after his side had to settle for a 1-1 draw at QPR.

Michael Frey equalised for Rangers five minutes before half-time after Duncan Watmore had opened the scoring.

The Lions were the better team yet were unable to find a second goal.

But Harris said: “Glass half-full; a dominant display, really good with the ball and created numerous chances.

“We’re disappointed not to win the game, obviously, and frustrated would be the right word as well, but glass half-full because notoriously it’s been a tough venue for us.

“It’s just another game where I thought we were better than the opponent. Disappointing not get all three points, for sure.

“The positives are that we are making the chances. We looked like a proper Millwall team. We’ve just got to make sure we turn that into wins.”

Millwall went ahead when summer signing Macaulay Langstaff, making his first Championship start, sent the ball in from the right and George Honeyman cleverly let it run to Watmore, who slotted past keeper Paul Nardi.

Honeyman missed a golden chance to restore the visitors’ lead when he inexplicably failed to connect with Romain Esse’s low cross, before Nardi produced a late save to deny Femi Azeez.

“George is gutted he hasn’t scored, but I thought he was excellent,” said Harris.

“Romain’s disappointed he hasn’t scored. Duncan’s disappointed he hasn’t scored again. Macaulay’s disappointed he hasn’t got off the mark. Femi’s disappointed he hasn’t scored at the end. The centre-halves are disappointed they haven’t scored in melees in the six-yard box.

“So basically, the lads are disappointed they’ve not gone and romped it.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes admitted that his team performed poorly.

“I’m not happy about the way we played. We could have played much, much better,” the Spaniard said.

“We had spoken about how important it would be during the phase of play where we are building up, because Millwall usually play very narrow and compact.

“The first half was a very slow tempo. We improved a little bit in the second half but it was not good enough to really challenge them in the last third.

“We were simply not good enough to impose the way we want to impose, especially at home.”

Rangers have tended to begin matches sluggishly so far this season and this was the third Championship game in a row in which they have fought back after conceding the first goal.

Prior to that sequence, they came back from two down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United after a woeful first-half display.

Cifuentes said: “It’s difficult to find a reason. Football is very complex and there are a lot of factors.

“But it’s definitely something that we have been talking about and that we need to get better in the first halves.

“Today we didn’t improve in the second half as much as we have in other games. It’s about looking at ourselves and finding out why this is happening.”