“It felt like a big win where we deserve even more than just THREE points”- Milwall Boss Alex Neil believes Millwall were deserved winners against Leicester City – and explains what was ‘really important’ in the tie

“It felt like a big win where we deserve even more than just THREE points”- Milwall Boss Alex Neil believes Millwall were deserved winners against Leicester City – and explains what was ‘really important’ in the tie

ALEX Neil thought Millwall deserved to beat Leicester City 1-0, a match he called a test of his side’s “credentials”.

The Lions had won three in a row ahead of the clash at The Den, and made it four after Femi Azeez’s strike on the cusp of half-time proved to be the difference maker.

Neil’s side rarely looked like conceding against a Foxes front line that looked out of ideas, while creating plenty of opportunities to score a second. Mihailo Ivanovic had a penalty saved in the second half, setting up a nervy final ten minutes that Millwall rode out to claim all three points.

Neil was asked after the game if he thought the result was a big win.

“It felt like a big win,” Neil said. “This narrative goes around a lot of clubs, because it’s not the first time it’s happened to me, but there’s always, ‘Oh, we’ve won a few, we’re always going to lose the next one.’ Then when you win the next one, the feeling changes, doesn’t it?

“Today, with the level of opposition we were playing against, it was certainly going to be a test of our credentials, in terms of where are we as a team, where are we as a group? Are we capable of beating the teams that came down?

“With the game itself, I think the manner in which we won was probably the most pleasing thing, because I’ve seen so many games like that where it’s a smash and grab and you nick a 1-0. That certainly wasn’t one of them for me.

“I thought in terms of triggering the press and getting the ball back, we did really well. They had a few moments in the first half where they did play through us, and they’re very good at doing that. But as the game wore on, that happened less and less.

“I thought the first goal in the game was always going to be really important. I always think in these matches when those teams are fresh, and it happened with Stoke a little bit. If you get through that first ten, fifteen minutes, and the game starts to settle, we really start to motor at that point and feel our way into the game. That’s what the first half looked like for me.