Gary Rowett believes Tom Bradshaw and Zian Flemming finally getting back in the goals can lay the foundations for Millwall cementing their Championship play-off place.
Bradshaw and Flemming netted either side of half-time to fire the out-of-form Lions to a 2-0 win over play-off-chasing rivals Preston at the Den.
Millwall had failed to score in their previous four matches but boss Rowett says they’re back on the right track as they bid to secure a top-six spot.
He said: “The goals were important, as much as the win was important for us.
“After the last four games and not getting the result we deserved, it felt a little bit like a must-win, must-perform game.
“I also think that the fact that those two have been out of the goals for four or five games, it was really important that they get back on the scoresheet today.
“There were a lot of positives. A goal each, a clean sheet and some big performances. I think Sav (George Saville) stepped up once again and was excellent.
“Scotty Malone coming in for Muzza (Murray Wallace), he hasn’t played for a long time but it was a seamless transition. He handled it really well.
“The likes of Billy (Mitchell) coming in. Coops (Jake Cooper) and Hutchy (Shaun Hutchinson), I don’t really need to mention them because they keep doing it every week.
“I thought it was the edgiest we’ve looked on the ball. Maybe it was the magnitude of the game, I’m not sure. Maybe it was the fact that we haven’t had the goals we deserved.
“Today, we looked edgy on the ball, gave it away too much and, up until the second goal, I felt we looked a bit nervy. I can understand that and I think that caused a lot of our problems.
“Preston are a good side, they’re in good form, and I thought at one stage it looked like they felt the pressure just as much as us. It was an edgy game.”
Bradshaw required just 14 minutes to open the scoring as he headed in Flemming’s fine cross.
Preston came close to levelling on several occasions as Lions goalkeeper George Long made a string of good stops.
But Flemming put the game to bed after 72 minutes when he fired past Freddie Woodman after Jake Cooper’s header.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe, whose team sit level on points with sixth-placed Coventry with four games remaining, said: “I’m disappointed in terms of the result. I thought the performance was good.
“I don’t want to dwell on it too long because there is another game on Wednesday.
“I’m disappointed with the two goals. I felt we played some fantastic stuff, there were good moments in that game, if we get one, we probably get two.
“Take nothing away from Millwall. We knew what to expect, we knew what they were going to do, just disappointed with the two goals. We got undone by ourselves not dealing with two balls coming into the box and not being clinical enough in front of goal.
“It was that clinical edge in both boxes. At the top end, in the attacking end, we weren’t clinical enough.
“It’s disappointing because we’ve been solid and resolute ourselves in dealing with those balls because we’ve come against a bit of that, but Millwall have a bit more quality than the teams we’ve played of late.
“We knew that and we said that. They found two moments, and we didn’t.”
