Millwall boss: Equaliser at Sheffield United was fantastic feeling – but we could easily have ended up with more

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Neil Harris saw his Millwall side grab a last-ditch equaliser at Sheffield United – but felt their final 30 minutes at Bramall Lane could have merited more.

Jake Cooper headed in a 95th-minute leveller which keeps the Lions two points above the Championship bottom three.

Ben Marshall hit the bar 10 minutes earlier from the penalty spot after Blades defender John Egan used his hand to save Tom Elliott’s header – referee David Webb brandishing a straight red.

“It’s a fantastic feeling when you snatch a point at the end after you thought it had disappeared,” said Lions boss Harris. “I thought we were going to equalise when we got the penalty. We should have equalised – then you have 10 minutes to go with an extra man, when we were already miles in the ascendency anyway.

“If that had been the case then we wouldn’t have taken our foot off the gas – we were going to let them continue in that shape, to go and have a right go to try and win the game.

“When the penalty doesn’t go in you think ‘right, this is another moment which has made it such a difficult season’.

“I give credit to my players for keep fighting, believing and pushing for an equaliser.

“They kept putting them under huge pressure and we had three or four chances before we scored. We got there in the end. It was a hard-earned point.”

Harris switched to a 3-5-2 formation to match up with Chris Wilder’s promotion-chasing team.

The Lions chief said: “My players also deserve credit for tactically understanding what I required, considering we only had one training session to work on it.

“It was a real tactical battle. Chris changed from his 3-5-2 because we were matching them and doing well. They went to

4-4-2 and then got a foothold. At the start of the second half we had to change, and then had to change again. Sometimes games go like that and you need to counter each other.

“It’s not often Sheffield United have to change shape to try and get the better of somebody – but they did within half an hour [on Saturday].

“Jake is a very good finisher aerially. He attacks the ball really well. But I’d focus more on how he is progressing as a defender. He’s been one of our most reliable players this season.”