Injury-hit Lions lose more players in draw at City and boss Harris jokes: I might make a comeback

NEIL HARRIS joked about making a playing comeback as Millwall’s crippling injury list lengthened while grabbing a battling point.

Already without half a dozen members of his first team squad, the Lions boss saw Aiden O’Brien carried off with a knee problem, Shaun Williams damage ankle ligaments in volleying the equaliser and Steve Morison strain a hamstring late on.

“Anyone fancy playing up front for us next Saturday?” quipped Harris (inset). “I’m thinking of re-registering myself. We are very stretched, but what I do know is that I have lads desperate to play and that will get us through.

“The character shown by the lads after going behind today was brilliant. It was just the response I asked for because we weren’t ourselves in the previous game against Birmingham.

“Bristol played some really good football but Shaun Hutchinson was the best player on the pitch and we defended well throughout. To be competitive in this division all my players have to be on their game. That wasn’t the case against Birmingham, but we have now put that performance behind us.”

City dominated the first half and looked set for all three points when Niclas Eliasson’s 52nd-minute cross from the left was miscued into his own net by Jake Cooper in trying to clear (below).

Famara Diedhiou had hit the crossbar for the hosts with a first half REF: header, but Lee Johnson’s men lacked the punch up front to kill off the game. They paid the penalty on 78 minutes when poor defending allowed Morison to head the ball into the path of midfielder Williams, who laced home a thumping volley from 12 yards. City’s late pressure came to nothing, but head coach Johnson refused to be downcast over the loss of two more home points.

“A lot of the performance ATT: pleased me,” he said. “It’s no secret that we need a bit extra at the top end of the pitch and we may have to trade in the January transfer window to bring that about.

“But we are still at a building stage and I’m happy with the progress we are making. We have rediscovered our mojo in the last two games and four points is a decent return.

“Of course, I am frustrated because one lapse in concentration had cost us a win in a match we controlled for long periods. But we aren’t far away from being a very good side. Our fans have gone home disappointed, which is a shame because we want to be loved.”

Millwall reaped the reward for a tenacious display, refusing to buckle after Cooper’s own goal and having O’Brien stretchered off.

City’s football was pleasing on the eye, but their home record is poor and they desperately need a goal-poacher to finish off the approach play.

MATCH STATS

BRISTOL CITY: