TOM Bradshaw is arguably in the form of his life right now, but he had a moment to forget against Norwich City last weekend.
Although the striker scored his 13th goal of the season with an emphatic finish early in the first half, he ended up scoring past his own goalkeeper George Long to give the visitors the lead shortly after half-time.
It was a unique situation, having scored for and against his team in the same match. Not only that, but he had, in fact, never been credited with an own-goal in his career before the Lions’ 3-2 defeat at The Den.
“To be honest with you, I was devastated, I didn’t know how to react,” Bradshaw said.
“Normally, when the ball goes in the net, I’m off celebrating!
“It was just one of those where I was just trying to defend the six-yard box. I think he played the ball across with pace and I went to close my legs so no one would have a tap-in behind me.
“Nine times out of 10, I either completely miss it as I go to close my legs or I close my legs and I stop it. On that occasion, just as I closed my legs, it caught my heel and went in.”
In the grand scheme of things, nobody will look negatively on Bradshaw’s contribution to the team because of the goal. The Welsh international has scored six times in his last five games, including a hat-trick against automatic promotion favourites Sheffield United. As a result, he was nominated for Championship player of the month for the second month in a row and this time he claimed the award.
There has been a noticeable change in his performances in recent weeks, although it is difficult to pinpoint how. Gary Rowett believes that his improvement has been down to the way he analyses his performances. though Bradshaw points to one person in particular who has helped him reach his best form.
“I speak to my dad a lot because he’s probably the one person who’s seen me play since I was six or seven,” he explained.
“It’s probably the most consistent that I’ve played all season. It’s hard to put your finger on one reason why that’s the case.
“Maybe it’s the squad we’ve got this year. Obviously I’ve linked up really well with Zian [Flemming], but it could be for a whole host of different reasons. I just feel good when I’m out there.
“I feel like, at the moment, I’m going to score goals every game. For me, I feel like my game has improved most with my hold-up play and my link-up play.
“I feel like that side of my game has really come on this year. It’s just something that I’m enjoying, getting to help the team out.”
That aforementioned partnership with Flemming has been crucial for Millwall, with the duo combining to score 26 Championship goals so far this season, almost 58 per cent of the Lions’ total this season. It has been especially important for Bradshaw, who lost one of his best friends in the squad back in January when Benik Afobe departed for Hatta Club.
The 30-year-old agrees that his bond with the Dutchman has certainly helped the Lions in the final third, guiding them up towards the top end of the Championship as a result.
“It’s actually quite rare to find that sort of good connection in football, especially with striker partnerships,” Bradshaw admitted.
“I feel very lucky that I had a great partnership with Benik, but then he moved on, so I feel fortunate to have Zian come in and to strike up that partnership straight away.
“It’s something that I’m enjoying, and hopefully, we can always keep scoring and the team keep winning.”
Image: Millwall FC