Gary’s happy Lions are hunting with a smile on their face
FRUSTRATED Swindon boss Richie Wellens admitted his side missed a trick as the League Two leaders saw their lead at the top cut to two points.
Arch-rivals Crewe snatched a late win at home to Oldham as the Robins were held at Brunton Park.
Rarmani Edmonds-Green’s 11th-minute goal looked to have earned Wellens’ title-chasing outfit their first away win since New Year’s Day.
The Huddersfield loanee bagged his first league goal with a clinical volley but Aaron Hayden equalised with a 62nd-minute close-range header – also his first league goal – to secure a battling draw as the Blues extended their healthy unbeaten run to five. “It’s bittersweet,” said Wellens. “It’s a hard one to take.
“Did we have enough chances to win the game? Probably.
“But I’m half-pleased with a point because it was not a great day for quality football.”
Byron Webster rifled a right-foot shot wide as the hosts showed early promise, before Edmonds-Green latched on to Hallam Hope’s corner and smashed the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Leading scorer Eoin Doyle had
HAYD’S UP: Aaron nods in the leveller a shot charged down as the Robins pressed for a second goal, before alert keeper Adam Collin denied Diallang Jaiyesimi with a smart save.
Hayden tried his luck from an acute angle but his effort flew high and wide, while Harry McKirdy had an even better chance to level a minute later, only for on-loan Swansea shot-stopper Steven Benda to deny him with a fine save.
German keeper Benda saved well from Michael Jones, while Callum Guy shot over as the Cumbrians threatened.
Doyle went close to scoring his first goal since being recalled from his Bradford loan spell but his effort just before the break was deflected wide. Skipper
Michael Doughty fired over with a free-kick but it was the hosts who bagged a deserved equaliser.
Hayden powered his header from Elliott Watt’s cross beyond Benda to restore parity and set up a fun finish.
Blues boss Chris Beech said: “The commitment that we showed was tremendous.
“I was really pleased.”
GARY ROWETT has put a smile back on the face of Millwall Football Club.
And the Lions have returned the favour.
The solid foundations created under Neil Harris have been built upon and 31 points from 18 fixtures so far is proof of the growing feeling of contentment between the new boss and existing staff at The Den.
And the key to it has been Rowett (below) finding himself immediately at home in south-east London.
He said: “When you are an out-of-work football manager, you do ask yourself, ‘What do I want in terms of my next club?’
“I wanted something similar to what I had at Birmingham in the early days.
“I wanted a group of hungry players, eager to do well. A club who knew what it was, what its parameters and goals were and one that wanted to improve.
“It’s important for me to stress it wasn’t broken here.
“I’m not one of those managers who’s going to come in and rubbish what has gone on before me. I was lucky to inherit a group of hungry players from Neil.
“They were prepared to work for him. There was a good culture in the dressing room and that was like a breath of fresh air.
“The players have been receptive – even when we haven’t had a positive result – and that counts for a lot.
“And this is a smashing club. The people accepted us straight away so, of course, you want to do well for them.”
Rowett has left a string of clubs in a far better position than he found them. Indeed, it could be argued he was somewhat unfortunate at his previous posting at Stoke City.
Depending on your viewpoint, the Potters were either 14th, having won eight games out of 26, or they were eight points off the play-offs having lost only three in 18.
The Potters’ board took one particular view, however, and showed him the door.
He said: “When something like that happens, it doesn’t dampen your enthusiasm to be a football manager.
“But it does make you appreciate it when the job is enjoyable. And what I have now, here, has brought the enjoyment back.
“It’s like when I first started out. The key difference is that now you have a bank of experiences to fall back upon.
“It makes you appreciate it all the more. Like I say, it’s not broken at Millwall. Our job is to build on what we have.” And so to the West Brom game this lunchtime, a team Rowett saw plenty of when he was employed in the studio by Sky.
He said: “They’re obviously a good side.
“I did feel that West Brom, Leeds, Brentford and Fulham would be up there.
“But we have a good record against the top six and we have it within us to rise to the challenge.”
CHRIS BRUNT has issued a warning to West Brom: don’t panic.
The veteran former Northern Ireland international, 35 (left) and his club are looking to improve upon a record that has seen them win once in their last eight. That victory came over bottom-placed Luton Town last weekend and Brunt, who has two promotions under his belt with the Black Country club, says now is not the time to sound the alarm.
He said: “We have had a blip but we’re up there. It’s up to us to make sure we stay there and we have enough experience around the place to know how to win games.”