Gary Rowett admitted it was 'harsh' on Charlton as Matt Smith scored a 91st-minute winner to ensure he tasted victory in his first local derby as Millwall manager. 

 

The Lions opened the scoring in the 5thminute through Shaun Hutchinsonbefore Jonathan Leko’s deflected shot in the second half equalised for the visitors. 

 

However, Matt Smith’s last-gasp winner from a corner ensured that Millwall will extend their unbeaten record against The Addicks to 24 years when the pair meet again at The Valley in April.

 

“I think we just edged the chances, Charlton just edged possession and control,” Rowett said.  

 

“1-1 was a turning point, I felt if Charlton had put their foot on the gas that momentum would have swung to them. I think they dropped a little bit and did they allow us to get back into it or was it our reaction? I’m not sure. 

 

“We’re at home, we’ve got to make attacking changes and try to force the game. That’s the gamble. We put Thommo back into the 10 position to see if we could get more control and get Jed into the game. I felt it was really hard with two strikers to get up to them, we didn’t really keep it for long enough to then give Jed lots of good possession.

 

Rowett brought on both Smith and Aiden O’Brien in the 87thminute to try a find a winner and to his luck, the substitution paid off. 

 

“The last throw of the dice was big Matt and Aiden. What I would say is we’ve had really good impacts off the bench in every game so far. 

 

“If you get quality into the box I think Matt is the best in the division in those scenarios. We’ve got to work it, get into better positions and then put the ball into the box. 

It was a fitting way to end the game. It was a little bit harsh on Charlton in some ways but we took the gamble and it paid off. 

 

 

The Millwall boss then added that he felt the pressure of not being the manager that brought an end to the Lions 23 year unbeaten record. 

 

“I would not say felt pressure but the fact that everybody told me that there was a few reasons today. 

 

“One was everyone kept telling me about like 20 years since they last beat us, I thought I really don’t need to know that statistic do I? 

 

“Because I do not want to be the manager that loses in 20 years. 

“And then the chairman told me flew over his five-year-old grandson so he did not want to waste all that time on the flight and then not performing. So that was the most pressure I have felt.”