Intensity is key for Adam Barrett as Millwall beat Reading

Millwall assistant manager Adam Barrett felt his side increased their intensity in the second half as they won 1-0 against Reading.

The Lions struggled to break down the Royals during a turgid first half at The Den, but they posed more of a threat after the introduction of Scott Malone and Mason Bennett at half-time.

Their pressure eventually told through Benik Afobe’s goal as Millwall made it five wins from seven games in the Championship and condemned the injury-ravaged visitors to their fourth straight defeat.

Barrett said: “I just thought, in the second half, that we were a lot more aggressive.

“The intensity of the press went up – I thought Mason Bennett coming on and dealing with [Josh] Laurent was a big factor in it.

“I thought he was excellent when he came on, Mason.

“Laurent in the first half was getting too much freedom of the park to do what he wanted and they’ve got good players – they’ve got [John] Swift and [Ovie] Ejaria, who are technically very good.

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“I thought when Mason came on and stopped Laurent getting on the ball, all of a sudden people could back it up and the intensity of the press was there.

“The directness of us was led by the front players, which was excellent, and we backed it up all over the park.

“Billy Mitchell was superb in there, second half, and Jed [Wallace] worked his socks off again.”

Millwall almost fortuitously took the lead on the hour mark when Ryan Leonard’s cross looped on to the bar before Luke Southwood did well to push Bennett’s rising drive away.

The winner came in the 71st minute when Wallace’s ball over the top put Leonard in behind and his low ball across was bundled in by Afobe.

Reading boss Veljko Paunovic, who watched the match from home following his positive Covid-19 test said: “In the first half, we were fantastic.

“Maybe in the first 10-15 minutes we didn’t have a good start, but then we got on the ball.

“We changed our shape and the players needed to figure out a little bit how to play in that system and when we did, we controlled the game perfectly.

“In the second half they switched their system, but I don’t think it was about systems today. We just ran out of tank in the second half and we couldn’t do more in the final 15 minutes.”

When asked how he was feeling, Paunovic said: “I’m feeling grateful, and thankful, that I had the opportunity to be double-vaccinated.

“I really feel fine, despite the positive test, and I’m only feeling minor symptoms.

“It was horrible being away from the team.”

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