MILLWALL boss Neil Harris said he was pleased with his side’s new-found depth after a goal by substitute Femi Azeez secured the Lions a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at The Den on Saturday.
Azeez and Aidomo Emkahu came off the bench late in the second half and combined for a 93rd-minute goal that gave Millwall a point deep into injury time.
Harris made five forward replacements in the second half as the Lions sought an equaliser, and his team’s perseverance paid off.
“All the subs contributed when they came on today,” Harris informed the audience.
“It’s difficult for Aidomo and Macaulay [Langstaff], who came on in the 90th minute, to make an effect in five minutes.
“But I just felt we needed to take a risk. We needed to get more bodies up against the last line. I just believed we needed to overload and get the wing-backs to attack the wrong side of their full-backs.
“It happened after a shift, and it was a critical point for us.
“Femi is gradually improving in a Millwall shirt and demonstrating his abilities. He has three assists now, but scoring his first goal will be extremely important for him.”
Harris hasn’t always had game-changing possibilities on his bench. Azeez, Coburn, Mihailo Ivanovic, and Tom Bradshaw, all of whom appeared in the second half, had missed games earlier in the season due to injuries.
“Josh Coburn is a really talented player. He’s a fantastic Millwall player, and it’s unfortunate that he had to come off, but it was the right call at the moment.
“We now have the opportunity to play different combinations, different formations, and make adjustments in-game, whether we’re winning, losing, or drawing, which is what a manager needs. Especially during the winter months.
“Aidomo, like some of the other lads, such as Shaun Hutchinson, has been waiting for a long time for this opportunity. Whether you have 90 minutes like Hutch, who I felt was great today, or only 5 minutes like Aidomo or Macualay Langstaff, you must try to make an impact wherever possible.
“The substitutes were fantastic, and it’s no wonder that we lost our first two games of the season since we had no impact off the bench.
“We were really low on bodies and on players coming on and influencing the game. Whereas now, it’s no accident that over the last 14 games, we believe we should have scored even more points, but we’ve been a genuine handful for everyone because we have a starting eleven and a bench.”
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