Tom Bradshaw: We let Lions caretaker boss down with collapse at Brentford

BY JAKE SANDERS

Tom Bradshaw was delighted to wash away the memories of his season-ending injury at Griffin Park last season – but admitted that Millwall let caretaker manager Adam Barrett down in their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

The 27-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Lions’ 2-0 defeat in west London last November but returned to score his third goal in as many games to give Millwall a half-time lead, writes Jake Sanders.

Jed Wallace doubled that advantage and put the Lions on course to achieve consecutive Championship victories for the first time since New Year’s Day, but Brentford struck three times in the final six minutes to complete an unlikely turnaround.

“We worked really hard to get ourselves into a position away from home – 2-0 up in the 84th minute – but I don’t really know how to explain it [the finale],” Bradshaw said.

“We should have done better for the first goal and then we let it slip through our fingers.

“I haven’t got the fondest of memories here. I think it was a year ago to the day actually at the same ground that I did it, so to come back here and score was a good feeling, but it would have been 100 times better if we’d have got the win.

“In the first half we weren’t playing our best football, but at half time we managed to get in front. If you are winning 2-0 away from home you should be seeing that out, regardless of how long is left.

“To get to that late in the game and still be 2-0 up, there are no excuses.

“Ads [Adam Barrett] has been brilliant from the first minute he has been in charge. We have let him down by not seeing that game out. I can’t praise Ad’s enough.

“The fans are gutted about it, but in that changing room there everyone is equally as gutted about it that we couldn’t get the three points.”

Bradshaw has four Championship goals for the season, putting him just five behind his best ever return in the second tier.

He said: “I am fairly happy with my return so far. Hopefully I can keep scoring goals and hopefully we can keep picking up wins.”

PICTURE BY BRIAN TONKS