Gary Rowett expressed that he would have been disappointed with a point against Barnsley after explaining that the defeat was “avoidable.”

 

Patrick Schmidt scored a 96th-minute winner to give Barnsley their first away victory of the season and end Millwall’s seven-game unbeaten run. 

 

Conor Chaplin opened the scoring for the visitors in the 40th minute before Aiden O’Brien looked to have salvaged a point for the Lions with a headed goal three minutes before full time. 

 

“We didn’t create the clear-cut chances our play deserved,” Rowett explained. 

 

“That’s a frustration and what that does is then put pressure on you for the rest of the game. 

 

“I knew it would be a difficult game with so much expectation after a good run of form. I knew there might be a bit of a banana skin. 

 

“There’s two bits of bright forward play from them to get past our two centre-halves too easily and they score a good goal. We then really lost our shape for seven or eight minutes at the end of the first half and could have conceded another.”

 

Barnsley’s winner came from Jed Wallace losing the ball cheaply led Luke Thomas to set up Schmidt’s 14-yard header. 

 

“I spoke to Jed about it afterward. When you’re 1-1 with one minute to go and you get the ball wide you have to make good decisions. He’s made a poor decision in a poor area and we’ve lost possession. 

 

“They still had a bit to do, it’s a really good header. It shouldn’t come to that. I feel like we’ve thrown the points away today.”

 

Rowett surprisingly made two changes to his side for the fixture as Shane Ferguson and Jiri Skalak were introduced for both Alex Pearce and Murray Wallace who failed to make the matchday squad. 

 

“We had a tough week with illness and injuries, they are both ill,” Rowett added. 

 

“The scenario was we would have played a three at the back at home, I thought it would have worked well against Barnsley’s formation. 

 

“Pearcy [Pearce]  was ill Wednesday, so we thought okay we will play Muzza [Murray Wallace] inside and convert Fergie [Ferguson] to left-wing back.

 

“Day later Muzza is ill as well. So it is just one of those weeks. We just got to take it on the chin and move forward.

 

"Again, it did not cost us a chance to win the game or make us lose the game. I think it was just our decision making that has done that. It is just not ideal when you end up with four fit defenders.

 

"I felt that today if I’d have been talking about a draw I’d have spoken about, a bit gritty, not really fluid but it’s a point. I stead I’m talking about a defeat which was avoidable."