Phil SumblerMillwall manager Gary Rowett admitted that his side “did not play well enough” when he talked about the Swans’ 3-0 win at The Den earlier today but was still seeing positives within the performance which he felt could have seen a very different result at the end.
Rowett saw his side well beaten by a Swans side who came into the game on the back of four successive defeats thanks to a first half strike from Andre Ayew and a well taken double from Jamal Lowe who scored his first goals for the Swans since January.
The result just about ended any slim hopes that Millwall had of breaking into the play off spaces at the end of the season – hopes that were dashed further when Barnsley, Brentford and Bournemouth all won this afternoon.
Speaking after the game, Rowett said “Swansea are a very good side when they are 1-0 up and have something to protect and they can transition on you well. Defensively they are very solid so I was not happy with that. I felt the way it came about was poor and changed the complexion of the game. We started well in the second half, we hit the post to make it level, we didn’t quite take that moment and then we made a mistake for the second goal. I don’t think we played well enough.
“You always want to score the first goal, but while the game’s at 0-0 then it’s in the balance, but we had moments in the game to go 1-0 up and we didn’t take them. We then conceded a very poor goal, now you’ve got to chase the game, when you chase the game we have to become a bit more open. We hit the post and don’t get the equaliser we then have to chase the game and put more attackers on. We put more attackers on, you leave more space for the opposition, it becomes a game of balance. If we can find the next goal then it makes it interesting.
“We didn’t ask quite enough questions in the final third of Swansea, what I would also say is we have to defend better for all three goals.”
