Millwall boss Harris happy with “excellent point” as unbeaten run stretched to seven Championship matches

Millwall failed to make it five straight Championship wins in a row as they drew 1-1 at Stoke City this afternoon – but still capped off a successful week as they extended their unbeaten run to seven matches.

The Lions took a first-half lead through Josh Coburn. The on-loan Middlesbrough striker converted from close range after Femi Azeez’s cross took a slight deflection to leave him with a simple tap in.

But the hosts levelled things up in the second period as they scored from a corner.

Stoke captain Ben Gibson headed home on the hour mark as he managed to steal some space off Japhet Tanganga to meet the ball first at the near post.

Azeez scuffed a finish narrowly wide in the 67th minute as he raced on to Romain Esse’s through pass.

Millwall were perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty early in the second half when Jake Cooper tugged the shirt of Wouter Berger from another corner but referee James Ball missed the incident.

The draw dropped the Lions out of the Championship play-off zone.

Neil Harris’ side came into the contest on the back of four successive 1-0 wins.

Harris told BBC London: “It’s an excellent point. The whole ground, and probably the whole football industry, thought ‘Millwall are 1-0 up, that’s how it’s going to finish’, but huge credit to Stoke, they are a good side in a good moment.

“They caused a lot of problems in the middle third all game, but we had the better chances. So I’m delighted with a point.

“Ultimately it’s not just one game – I look at the week and the seven points in a week.

“For us to play Burnley and Leeds at home and come to Stoke, a ground where we’ve notoriously we’ve not done great at for a long time, it’s a fantastic week for us.

“There was a thought process (on team selection) to trying to find Stoke’s weaknesses on their first line, getting an extra body higher up the pitch. But there was a big thought to not wanting to change a winning team and winning formula. I certainly didn’t want to leave George Honeyman out but you had to look at the fixture schedule and then look at three games in less than six days because we finished the game at five o’clock last Sunday and we start at 12.30 toda. It’s absolute madness that we’re put in that situation. So I’ve had to rotate the squad.

“Every player that has stepped on the pitch has been magnificent. Every player who hasn’t stepped on the pitch – even ones back at the training ground like Murray Wallace, Wes Harding, Adam Mayor, Billy Mitchell and Aidomo Emakhu – have been absolutely magnificent at driving things and that’s what we need as a football club.

“They (Stoke) got into good positions and had lots of possession but we had the better chances. Femi Azeez will be disappointed he didn’t get one goal, if not two or three. We scored a fine goal, a well-worked free-kick to get Josh Coburn in. I’m delighted for him to come back and score.

“There were so many positives today and ultimately for the week.”

PICTURES: BRIAN TONKS