Alex Neil: Millwall’s game against Southampton deserved an ending like it got

Millwall head coach Alex Neil felt the dramatic finish to his side’s 3-2 victory over in-form Southampton was exactly what they deserved at the end of a pulsating contest.

Tristan Crama settled matters at The Den with a winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time that sparked manic celebrations and moved the Lions up to third in the Sky Bet Championship.

Neil was very animated himself after Caleb Taylor’s thunderbolt had put them 2-1 ahead, with the Scot sprinting down the touchline, Jose Mourinho-style, to join his players.

Finn Azaz cancelled that out as the Saints, who had won their previous four games, hit back, but Crama’s final twist meant they fell to defeat for the first time under interim boss Tonda Eckert.

Neil said: “I thought the game itself was a brilliant game. It deserved an ending like it got and I feel we merited that across the 90 minutes.

“I thought we were good, we scored two brilliant goals – Tristan’s being the most important, but the other two I thought were excellent in terms of the manner of them.

“I’m so proud of the players, so delighted for everybody connected with the club, because you look at the line-up and we’ve got a lot of younger lads in there that haven’t had a lot of football.

“I thought they did brilliantly today as a group.

“I don’t think I’ve ever run down a touchline as a coach, but I thought it was certainly one of those moments that merited it; a young centre-back pings one in on his fourth start, putting the ball into the top corner from 30 yards, so unfortunately I got a bit carried away.”

Southampton led through Adam Armstrong’s 55th-minute penalty, but Millwall deservedly drew level after 72 minutes through Femi Azeez’s sixth goal in seven games – a crisp low strike from outside the area.

The Lions then completed the turnaround in the 81st minute when centre-back Taylor smashed in a sensational strike from distance for his first goal for the club.

The Saints looked like they had snatched a draw with three minutes remaining when Azaz squeezed in the rebound after Max Crocombe had saved Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ header for his fifth goal in four matches.

However, Millwall claimed all three points with almost the last kick as Thierno Ballo’s cross was forced in at the back post by Crama.

Eckert said: “Every game, at the end, consists of small moments.

“I think we had the chance to go up in the first half, didn’t manage to, then we did go up in the second half.

“I actually felt that, even though we defended a little bit deeper, we controlled them quite well.

“Then you know if you come here and concede a goal, the stadium comes on top and it’s a lot of energy you have to put on the pitch to go against that.

“We conceded the second one and then compliments to the boys to get back in the game because I think that is very difficult, and then you just need to bring a game over the line.

“Millwall are a very good side and I think they had some moments when they came out on top.

“They just started to build momentum, but congratulations to them for (winning) the game.”