Alex Grace’s takeaways from Millwall’s win over Cardiff – Harris has made The Den a fortress as duo prove why they are needed
Millwall secured back-to-back home wins with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions moved six points clear of the bottom three with victory and to within touching distance of Championship safety and an eighth consecutive season in the second tier.
Michael Obafemi powered the home side in front – a satisfying goal for the former Swansea striker. However, it would not be plain sailing as Cardiff fought back to level through Yakou Meite.
Jake Cooper opened his account for the season in first half stoppage time before Duncan Watmore sealed the deal for the Lions in the 93rd minute, tapping home Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s cross.
Here are Alex Grace’s four takeaways from the match:
ANOTHER HOME WIN
Neil Harris has transformed Millwall’s home form since his return to the club. He knows how to win games at The Den. He has built his managerial career around making his teams hard to beat at home and it was just what Millwall needed when he returned.
The Lions had not won at home since the 1-0 victory over Norwich back in December before Harris’ arrival. The head coach stated in his post-match press conference that all people wanted to tell him was that this team couldn’t play at The Den. He has put that myth to bed and done it in style.
The club legend has been in charge for five home games and has won four and drawn the other. It’s been an uncharacteristic season for the Lions, and their form at home has not been what fans come to expect. The Den has been a fortress for Millwall for a number of years now. However, this season has seen nine teams come to South London and take all three points away.
Harris knows how to get the best out of a team when playing at The Den. He did it so successfully in his first stint in charge of the club and has repeated it again this time around. Joe Edwards and Gary Rowett between them had 17 games in charge at The Den this season and managed just four wins – in five games Harris has won the same amount. He has the affiliation with the club and its fans – that has been evident in uniting the fans and the team.
COOPER GETS HIS GOAL
It feels like this has been a long time coming, doesn’t it?
Cooper has been waiting a long, long time to score a goal. 4th February 2023 – that was the last time he scored, it came in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland. It has been a tough season for the Lions vice captain. Having had the armband for the majority of the season with Shuan Hutchinson sidelined he has been pretty much an ever-present in a side that has struggled for long parts of the season.
Frustration had been growing for the big defender, he had chances at both Rotherham and Huddersfield and throughout the season but has been unable to open his account. It’s a surprise considering the amount of set-pieces that the Lions tend to win in games. He has had to settle for seeing teammates, Japhet Tanganga and Wes Harding both get on the scoresheet ahead of him.
However, he now has his goal and it was evident to every single person inside the stadium on Saturday how much it meant to him and how pleased for him his team-mates were.
LEONARD AND SAVILLE PROVE WHY THEY ARE NEEDED
Our paper broke the news on Friday that both Ryan Leonard and George Saville had triggered extensions in their contracts for a further year in SE16. They are two players that have proved they deserve to stay with their performances not just in the Harris era but throughout the season.
Leonard has been outstanding considering he is still technically playing out of position at right-back. His stunning performance against Leicester was just another example as to why he is so important to Millwall going forward.
Saville is another player who knows and understands the club. He is now in his third stint with the club and has a great understanding of what it takes to be a Millwall player. He is a senior player in the ranks alongside the likes of Leonard, Cooper, and Hutchinson. His partnership with Billy Mitchell has been effective in helping the Lions stem the tide of goals going against them.
SAFETY NOW WITHIN SIGHT
It’s not been a great season. From the disaster that struck in the summer, to two managerial departures, it has not been the season that many expected after the heartbreaking end of the last campaign.
Many had expected the Lions to once again be in the mix for the top six after narrowly missing out in the last two seasons under Rowett. Millwall, since the Berylson family took over the club in 2007 have been a club that many have looked to in terms of stability and how its run. Managerial changes in SE16 are very rare, Rowett was in post for almost four years, with Harris before him having a four and half year reign.
Harris returned with the initial brief of keeping the Lions in the second tier and that aim is now well in sight. They could mathematically secure safety at the Stadium of Light on Saturday with a win or a point against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Do that and the club and the players can finally put what has been a challenging campaign behind them and look to the future.