Neil Harris ‘fed up’ talking about missed chances as Millwall held at home

Posted Sunday, October 20, 2024 by PA

Millwall manager Neil Harris said he is fed up with talking about his side’s missed chances after they almost came back to haunt the Lions in their 1-1 draw against Derby.

The Rams arrived at The Den having not picked up a single point from their first four away games of the season in the Sky Bet Championship, but they almost claimed all three in south London following Jerry Yates’ bundled opener.

However, Serbian substitute Mihailo Ivanovic hit back for Millwall, who had not scored in their previous two games, with five minutes left.

The 19-year-old deadline-day signing was away with his country during the international break and showed a composure his more experienced team-mates lacked in a game that, for a long time, failed to get going.

Harris said: “It might look like a really good point and a recovery, but we’re better than that here at The Den.

“They’ve had one effort on goal and scored. I think (Derby forward Corey) Blackett-Taylor should do better in the second half when he cuts it into the advertising hoardings, but apart from that, that (Yates goal) was their first shot in our penalty area, near our goal, and the ball ends up in our net.

“Our mentality is not good enough, we have to do better than that.

“Before that, we should be in front. We had three really good chances to score and in my pre-match presser, I talked about how good our expected goals is, for and against.

“But I’m fed up with talking about it, so I’m not going to talk about it anymore after today, where again we’re not ruthless enough in one penalty area and we get punished in the other.

“Fortunately, the big Serbian geezer comes on and rescues a point for us.”

Macaulay Langstaff had two good chances to put Millwall ahead, first hitting the post with a dinked effort in the 23rd minute, then having a shot saved by Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom six minutes into the second half.

The Rams then looked to have snatched victory in the 78th minute when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s corner flicked off Lions substitute Femi Azeez before Yates scrambled the ball in at the back post.

But Ivanovic came to the hosts’ rescue after the ball ran kindly to him off Romain Esse as he calmly rounded Zetterstrom before sliding his shot past two defenders on the line.

Derby boss Paul Warne said: “We told the lads about their threats – they put a lot of throw-ins in the box, a lot of free-kicks in the box, a lot of corners in the box which you have to really stand up to, and I thought we did.

“I thought we were really well-organised, won a lot of first contacts, so I felt like we nullified it well and I didn’t think they were going to score, but unfortunately, randomly, something happened and we conceded.

“I thought we looked quite resolute, they did have a really good chance first half, I thought we’d won a penalty – I didn’t think it was offside – and then I just thought at times we were really dangerous on the counter.

“We had a couple of really good chances that I’d like us to take, obviously, but maybe over the course of the play, a draw is a fair response.”