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Attendance: 10,021
Millwall logo
Championship | Gameweek 18
Nov 26, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Wigan logo

2-2

Hutchinson (24'), Smith (60')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Pilkington (3'), Robinson (56')

Gary Rowett admits Millwall did not deserve more than a draw against Wigan

Gary Rowett admits Millwall did not deserve more than a draw against Wigan
© Reuters
Rowett has picked up ten of the 15 points available since taking charge in October.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett was hoping for more from his players as they fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Wigan.

The Lions boss has picked up ten of the 15 points available since taking charge in October but was less than impressed with his side's latest performance at the Den.

A Shaun Hutchinson header cancelled out Anthony Pilkington's early strike in the first half before substitute Matt Smith did exactly the same in the second half following Antonee Robinson's impressive first career goal.

"I'm not happy with a point but I don't think our performance was good enough to warrant all three and sometimes you have to accept that when the performance isn't great you don't get the result you want," said Rowett.

"If you look at Wigan, although their results haven't been great, their games have been very close and I thought they showed how much they were playing for their manager.

"No one really stood out to me tonight which was the problem because we are a team that needs to be at their maximum to win games.

"We want to play with bit more quality, we aren't going to do that every game, but I think the players recognise that there wasn't enough good performances out there today."

Rowett revealed that Lions keeper Bartosz Bialkowski offered him an apology after the game despite a point-blank save from Kieffer Moore's header keeping his side level before the break.

"Bart has just apologised to me in the changing room and I said that nobody has to apologise because he has won us games single-handedly this season," added the former Stoke boss.

"In some of the games this season he has had to do too much and I don't think we defended with as much shape or discipline tonight as we have done previously."

Meanwhile, Wigan manager Paul Cook polarised the opinion of his opposite number and was proud to take a point home, despite his side letting their lead slip twice.

And Cook believes the result will give his players confidence for the rest of the season.

"We need to just keep going because everyone knows this league for what it is and that was a really good point for us," said the Wigan boss.

"The games we have played in and lost, we have played really well in, so it is disappointing and we don't look like a team that is in trouble at the lower end of the table based on tonight.

"We play with great confidence and also sometimes naivety, but the way we played in stoppage time today was the best we have looked because actually we time-wasted and did the professional things we are supposed to do.

"But the players haven't had the bit of confidence you get from winning a few games and I think tonight will give them a boost.

"Great credit to the fans that came tonight because it is not easy when we have not been picking points up."

United States international Robinson scored his first career goal after a slick move from the Latics and Cook was full of praise for the 22-year-old left-back.

"I am delighted for Antonee because in the modern game full-backs have to contribute," he added.

"They've got a license to go forward for crosses and I thought he was excellent again tonight.

"We have lost some senior players this season and I though the young players who came in did brilliantly, especially Dujon Sterling."

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
4Southampton462691187632487
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
15Watford461317166161056
16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


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