ANDREAS Voglsammer received a much-needed confidence boost against Reading yesterday afternoon as he calmly dispatched a first-half penalty to give Millwall all three points.
The move started when Tom Bradshaw’s flick played Zian Flemming through on goal, allowing the Dutchman to shrug off a defender before knocking the ball around Joe Lumley. The goalkeeper brought him down just inside the box for a spot-kick, which Voglsammer smashed into the back of the net to give the Lions an early lead.
Despite some nervy moments, the Royals failed to muster a single shot on target and the visitors left with the win as a result.
The penalty was Voglsammer’s second goal in a Millwall shirt, with the first coming away to Watford on Boxing Day. Some fans were expecting to see 31-year-old kick on with an extended scoring run, much like teammate Flemming managed earlier in the campaign, but it wasn’t to be.
Despite that, manager Gary Rowett has been delighted to see the attacker contribute in other areas, highlighting his immense work rate that has helped the Lions to challenge at the top end of the division.
“We work so hard as a team, don’t we?” he said after the win.
“The flip side to that is that Voglsammer and Honeyman put so much in for the team. You’ve always got to accept that it’s going to take a little bit away from their attacking prowess, their attacking ability and energy.
“I think that’s the trade off for us sometimes. It’s a tough job playing wide for us but they do it with such diligence.
“You’re judged to a certain degree on how many goals you score at the end of the season, how many assist you get, how many chances you create, but also the work rate for the team as well – and your desire for the team to stop a counterattack or track someone back 50 yards. Sometimes that’s just as important.”
Photo: Millwall FC