Alex Neil's late attacking gambit at Ewood Park ultimately left his Millwall side more exposed, with Blackburn Rovers sealing a 3-1 win with a stoppage-time goal. The Millwall manager explained his decision to make aggressive changes while chasing an equaliser, a move that included a notably rare substitution for defender Jake Cooper.
Neil said he could not stand idly by as his team trailed 2-1. "I’m never just going to stand at the side and watch us lose 2-1," the manager stated. "I’m always going to go and try and get the next goal." His changes began in the 76th minute when Daniel Kelly replaced Derek Mazou-Sacko. With eight minutes remaining, he sent on Elkan Baggott and Zak Lovelace for Cooper and Jenson Metcalfe, pushing more forwards onto the pitch.
The decision to withdraw Cooper was particularly significant. The centre-back has been substituted only seven times in 426 games since joining Millwall permanently in 2017, with just five of those being tactical decisions. His last substitution before Saturday was in September 2024. Cooper was making his 444th appearance for the club, moving him into third place on Millwall's all-time appearance list.
Neil believed the pressure was building for an equaliser before the late sucker punch. "I thought Blackburn were hanging on towards the end," he said. "We definitely have enough pressure to and get the next goal and you’re hoping it lands to somebody." Instead, Andri Guðjohnsen scored Blackburn's third goal in the 93rd minute, assisted by J. Fevrier, to secure the points. The result leaves Blackburn Rovers 16th in the Championship with eight points from seven games.
For Blackburn, the victory provided a welcome boost after a run of one win in their last five matches. Oladapo Afolayan scored twice, with Guðjohnsen's late strike making him the club's top scorer this season with three goals. The team now looks ahead to an away fixture against 18th-placed Portsmouth this Saturday. Check the full schedule on the fixtures page. Blackburn will be without several players including Scott Wharton and Yuki Ohashi, whose absence is noted on the injuries list.
Further reading: Southwark News
