BENIK Afobe said there wasn’t even a hint of panic in the Millwall dressing room against Peterborough United last weekend – as the Lions had been in that position plenty of times recently.
At 3.45pm on Saturday, Millwall’s play-off chances were hanging by a thread as the Posh were holding them 0-0.
In fact, it was the visitors who had had the best chance to go ahead when Jonson Clarke-Harris just missed the target from close range.
In 2022 alone, Millwall have been goalless at The Den against West Brom, Cardiff City, QPR, Sheffield United and Hull City before winning all of those games.
The Lions needed to not only beat Peterborough but try to rack up a big score to close the goal difference to Sheffield United.
Afobe eventually opened the scoring in the 53rd minute before Gary Rowett’s side scored two more through a Josh Knight own goal and George Saville’s header.
NewsAtDen asked Afobe what it was like in the dressing room at half-time after the first-half struggles.
“To be honest, [Rowett] wasn’t really annoyed or angry,” Afobe said. “There have been many times now recently where it’s got to the stage that 0-0 at half-time is good for us because we have tended to be a second-half team, haven’t we, at home anyway.
“We beat Barnsley, we beat Hull. We found it difficult to break down their defences in the first half but we just thought with the subs we have, the squad is so powerful, Jed [Wallace] is on the bench the other day and comes on and gets two assists.
“We’ve got great strength in depth now so 0-0, in front of our fans at half-time, we know that we’re going to get chances in the second half and it’s up to us to take them. And we did.
“There was no panic or anything like that.”
Afobe acknowledged it was still important to score early in the second half.
He said: “That’s what happened against Hull, we scored that flukey goal. When it’s 0-0 you hope it doesn’t go into the last 10 minutes still 0-0.
“But we’re such a fit team, I think this is the fittest team I’ve played for. Everyone is so strong and fit, we get stronger as the game goes on. When the other team gets tired, lacks concentration, we always capitalise on it.”
Afobe watched Luton’s 7-0 defeat at Fulham on Monday evening.
“I was thinking, ‘gosh’, when it was another goal, another goal, another goal,” he said. “It got to the point where [Hatters boss and Afobe’s former manager at Stoke] Nathan Jones was probably thinking, ‘well take 5-0 now’”.
Image: Millwall FC