Neil Harris: Millwall fans have been brilliant – they have stuck by me and by my players

BY JAKE SANDERS

Neil Harris was delighted with his Millwall players as they battled back from 2-0 down to earn a point against Nottingham Forest.

Joe Lolley and Joao Carvalho struck in each half to put the hosts 2-0 in front before Shaun Williams reduced the arrears with 15 minutes remaining. It looked as if Millwall would lose for a seventh time in their last eight Championship games but Gregory fired home in the last minute.

The Lions remain in the relegation zone but have ended a run of four consecutive defeats on the road.

Harris said: “We have had 15 shots, seven on target, hit the woodwork twice and scored two goals and the keeper has made some saves. We have not been clinical enough. That’s not having a go at my players, that’s just reality.

“What I am pleased about is we made so many chances, we looked so dominant. It wasn’t just dominant in creating chances, the shape was excellent the majority of the time. Some individual players were very good at times.”

Harris finished by paying tribute to the 400 or so fans that made the journey up the M1.

He said: “It’s tough, the fans have been brilliant. They’re sticking with the players, they’re sticking with me. That’s important to the group. Are we immune to criticism? Course we’re not. We understand that’s part of the game. Look at Steve Bruce today. Football is a crazy world.

“But we have got belief in our dressing room of what we do. Staff, players, the board and it’s important that we continue to do what we believe in and continue to build. We have not taken three-and-a-half-years to build what we have over the last three-and-a-half-years to lose it all in five crazy weeks. That’s the important message.

“I have stuck at my system, stuck at my group of players and not looked at free agents that are out there to bring in. I stuck with them because I believe in them and I believe in what we do – why wouldn’t I? We have had some bad results, but why have we had bad results? We have had horrendous luck, a horrendous transfer window at the end and we have had some bad performances.

“Will we get better? Yes, because we always get better. Sometimes you need a performance and a result to dig you out of a slump. Is it a good one Saturday for us on the back of tonight? Yes, it is, because that will put another 2,000 on the gate on the back of tonight’s result, my words tonight, the heart in me and the passion in the players tonight and the performance. They will want to be there on Saturday.”