UPSET TO THE KOR!
Pearce rues end of Lions’ unbeaten run
ALEX PEARCE was gutted that Millwall surrendered their unbeaten home record in the league on his watch.
Club skipper Pearce took the dugout for the midweek win at Preston with all of the Lions’ f irst - team coaches isolating.
Manager Gary Rowett has been forced into the role of remote assistant for the last three games after testing positive for Coronavirus nine days ago.
And he had to watch on TV as his defenders failed to lock down Josh Koroma in the first half before late strikes from Avila and Lewis O’Brien sealed a first win in three games for Huddersfield.
Rowett should return tomorrow and Pearce said: “I have enjoyed it on the whole, but I did not enjoy losing today. I loved it on Wednesday but I guess that is management. I am bitterly disappointed that we lost.”
Carlos Corberan is now 10 games into his managerial career at Huddersfield and was thrilled with the character his side showed.
He said: “It was a very good performance, maybe from the seventh minute to the 35th minute of the first half we controlled the game.
“In the second half we played with a bit more personality and created enough chances to finish the game a little bit earlier.
“It was a very positive performance against a very tough side.”
Millwall had claims for an early penalty turned away when Murray Wallace fell to the ground at a corner.
“There was a lot of grappling going on and I said to the fourth official ‘what is it going to take to get a decision?’ he did not answer,” revealed Pearce.
The response from Huddersfield was much more conclusive.
Alex Pritchard’s ball to the far post was headed back across goal by Adam Diakhaby for Koroma to scuff a first-time shot into the right corner.
Mi l lwal l ’ s Connor Mahoney was denied by Ben Hamer’ full- length save just before the break.
The hosts threw on Matt Smith at half- time but he got little change out of Naby Sarr, while the Terriers were always a threat on the break.
Diakhaby twice struck shots at Bialkowski from the edge of the box and Koroma did the same from six yards.
But when Avila did the same in the 89th minute, Bialkowski could only palm it over his head and just over the line before he could scoop it out.
O’Brien sealed the points with the last kick when he angled a left-foot shot wide of the keeper and inside the right post.