Four takeaways from Millwall’s 1-0 win at Coventry – Junior Lions, Alex Pearce leads by example and play-offs looking a better bet again

BY DANIEL MARSH

Millwall showed tremendous character to grind out an impressive 1-0 win over Coventry City on Wednesday night against the odds.

The Lions had just 14 senior players available after a number of positive Covid-19 cases and injuries but saw a request to postpone the match turned down by the EFL.

Tom Bradshaw gave Millwall their reward for battling on after his strike deep in the second half proved to be enough to seal a huge win for Gary Rowett’s men.

Here are Daniel Marsh’s four takeaways from the Lions midweek triumph…

JUNIOR LIONS

It’s no secret that the Lions have been hit hard by a number of positive Covid-19 cases over Christmas, with their Boxing Day clash with Swansea postponed as a result.

But Millwall’s request to have Wednesday night’s trip to Coventry cancelled was turned down by the EFL – despite Rowett having just 14 senior players to choose from.

The Lions’ starting line-up was more than respectable and probably not a million miles away from a first-choice 11. But it’s worth bearing in mind that a host of players had very little training due to isolation periods.

On the plus side, it meant Rowett could call up a trio of academy graduates to be involved with the squad for the clash with Mark Robins’ side.

Forward Zak Lovelace, 15, stole the headlines in the build-up to the clash but there were also call-ups for 19-year-old midfielder Nana Boateng and 20-year-old defender Besart Topalloj.

It was Lovelace who came on with just minutes to spare to cap a perfect night for the Lions, who turned in a typical Millwall display when their backs were against the walls.

BRADDERS STRIKES AGAIN

If you were to ask any Millwall fan who was most likely to nick a goal on Wednesday night when the teams came out, the majority would have picked out Bradshaw.

That hasn’t always been the case for the former Barnsley man, who has had to endure some pretty horrific goalless runs throughout his Lions career.

But he’s in red-hot form right now.

Bradshaw’s predatory finish from close range to seal the points for the Lions was his fourth strike in as many games and his sixth overall this term; more than he managed in the whole of last season.

Given his purple patch in front of goal and his blossoming understanding with loanee Benik Afobe upfront, it’s not really a surprise that Rowett and the Lions are trying to tie Bradshaw down to fresh terms.

Bradshaw’s revival at the Den has been nothing short of remarkable, and he looks likely to have a big say on whether or not the Lions can fulfill their lofty play-off aspirations.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

The decision to hand Alex Pearce a new deal in the summer wasn’t something that left the majority of Lions fans enthused.

Pearce was always likely to spend the season deputising for the likes of Jake Cooper, Shaun Hutchinson and Murray Wallace. Dan Ballard’s impressive start to life in the Championship has further restricted the 33-year-old’s minutes in the league this year.

But Pearce put in a real captain’s performance when he was called upon for the trip to Coventry.

The ex-Derby defender led by example at the heart of the Lions’ back three and seemed to be in the right place at the right time all night long. It felt as though the skipper didn’t to put a foot, or a head, wrong.

It still feels pretty unlikely that Irishman is going to muscle in on a regular spot in Rowett’s side in the second half of the season. But his display in the Midlands certainly silenced a few critics – and proved he’s still a viable option to fill in now and again with Ballard sidelined.

SEASON STILL ALIVE AND KICKING

Millwall’s awful 2-1 defeat at Peterborough feels like an eternity ago after a spate of cancellations in the EFL.

If that morale-sapping defeat dented Millwall’s play-off hopes, then the Lions unlikely win at the Sky Blues helped reinvigorate them.

Rowett’s men now sit three points behind the top six with a game in hand on some of the sides above them.

If Millwall can find their traditional second-half of the season surge, then there’s still every chance that this could be one of the most memorable seasons in SE16 for quite some time.

The onus is on the Lions to ensure this performance isn’t another false dawn like the 3-1 win over Birmingham prior to the Peterborough calamity.