Neil Harris blasted Millwall’s defending as “criminal” after the Lions conceded a stoppage time winner in tonight’s 3-2 defeat to Barnsley.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw when Lewin Nyatanga popped up late on to head home from Conor Hourihane’s free-kick and consign Millwall to a third Den defeat in the space of the week.

Things started brightly when livewire Fred Onydeimna gave the home fans some much needed cheer with a 26th minute opener, only for Barnsley to draw level before the break through Sam Winnall.

Alfie Mawson fired the visitors in front early in the second half but Onyedinma’s 82nd minute equaliser looked to have rescued a share of the spoils.

But more poor marking from a set piece was ruthlessly capitalised on by Nyatanga at the death and a clearly exasperated Harris didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment.

The boss said: “I can’t repeat what I said to the players afterwards.

“They are aware in no uncertain terms of my dismay at their defending.

“I said to the players: ‘Who is taking responsibility on set plays? Who is reminding players that they are there to keep the ball out of the net?’

“That’s a big thing for me – the leadership for defending.

“I’m disappointed with the three set plays.

“I’m disappointed with the three goals but it has not been a common theme under my stewardship conceding goals from set plays.

“What has been common is that we’ve conceded goals this season.

“That’s the headache for me, that’s what I’ve got to put right and for that I question the character of the players, that’s for sure.”

Harris added: “I don’t think we got a foothold in the game it is fair to say after half-time.

“We can have a pattern to our play and a game-plan but I’m not putting out a team of robots.

“They have to make decisions and think for themselves. I give them that responsibility to be able to do that but I didn’t feel like we controlled the game at all at the start of the second half.

“We had spells on top, and when you score when you are having good spells, it is fantastic.

“But when you are having spells when you are under the cosh a little bit you’ve got to defend well.

“I spoke to the players before the game about if we have a five minute spell where we are not in control of the football match under no circumstances that ball ends up in our goal.

“That certainly happened twice, once in the first half and once in the second half, and then topping it all off was the goal in injury time.

“It was criminal for the home team to defend like that from a set play in injury time.”