AFOBE SPOT ON TO KEEP DREAM ALIVE
GARY Rowett saluted his Millwall side’s character as they twice fought back to rescue a point against Birmingham at St Andrew’s.
Benik Afobe’s 12th goal of the season kept the Lions’ playoff chase alive when he slotted home from the penalty spot in the ninth minute of added time.
Juninho Bacuna had opened the scoring 67 seconds into the second half, before the hosts were pegged back by Oliver Burke’s second goal for the club.
Lyle Taylor’s 79th-minute penalty looked set to be enough to end Blues’ run of three consecutive defeats, but Afobe’s goal meant Millwall are now three points behind the top six with two games remaining.
Rowett said: “We threw everything we had at it. We made too many mistakes in the game and didn’t do the basics well enough at this stage of the season to pass the ball and open the game up.
“What we have got is fabulous desire and character. We ended up with Oliver Burke at right wing-back, Tyler Burey at left wing-back and Jake Cooper upfront on his own. Maybe just because of that, we deserved something out of the game.”
Gary Gardner nearly got the home side off to the perfect start after two minutes when his freekick left Bartosz Bialkowski helpless before rattling off the corner of the goal frame.
Blues keeper Neil Etheridge marked his return to the squad with a good diving save to deny Murray Wallace, before Shaun Hutchinson’s strike looked set to nestle in the top corner, but Ivan Subjic was there to deny the Lions skipper on the line.
After failing to make their chances pay in the first half, Lee Bowyer’s side opened the scoring 67 seconds into the second half.
Hernandez capitalised on a defensive mix-up involving Hutchinson and Cooper before his cut-back fell to Bacuna, who struck through the legs of Bialkowski.
Millwall got themselves level in the 68th minute through Burke’s second goal for the club. Mason Bennett’s looping cross to the back post was headed across goal by Danny McNamara and the unmarked Burke side-footed home.
Blues restored their lead in the 79th minute when Taylor calmly slotted home from the penalty spot after referee Leigh Doughty penalised George Saville for pulling the on-loan forward to the floor.
However, the drama continued into injury-time when the visitors were awarded a penalty themselves after Hutchinson was dragged down in the box. Afobe remained composed and slotted past Etheridge to rescue a point.
Blues head coach Bowyer felt for his players after having victory snatched from them.
“We competed, we won a lot of individual battles and we had to stand up and be counted all over the pitch, man-to-man, against a very good Millwall side,” he said.
“We deserved to win but, yet again, another decision from the officials has cost us more points. It’s never a penalty.”