‘Incredibly satisfying’ – Millwall boss takes real pleasure from victory at Coventry City

Gary Rowett described Millwall’s 1-0 win over Coventry as “incredibly satisfying” after the EFL rejected their application to postpone the fixture.

The Lions only had 14 first-teamers available on Wednesday night but Tom Bradshaw’s 79th-minute goal earned a 1-0 win over play-off rivals.

“You feel it is one of those games where there is going to be less chance of winning but the players really stepped up,” said Rowett. “They showed the grit and determination you expect from a Millwall team.

“We felt on Tuesday we didn’t fit the criteria to get the match on. We had 13 fit outfield players. But the goalkeeper counts as one as well – I don’t know if he’s supposed to be stuck up front. It seems a bit ludicrous.

“The EFL made us play the game but the key thing is the players wanted to play the game. We don’t want to not play football and go 20, 23 or 30 days without playing – you lose that little bit of match fitness which is hard to get back.

“It was an incredibly dogged performance, which we have not done enough away from home this season. The game could’ve gone either way. I didn’t feel Coventry cause us that many problems.”