Martin "furious" with goals conceded
Russell Martin admitted he was “furious” with the goals Southampton conceded as Millwall ran out 2-1 winners at St Mary’s in a game that Saints dominated in every aspect bar the result.
A long free-kick into the box gave the visitors a fifth-minute lead, as Japhet Tanganga headed home in front of Gavin Bazunu, but Saints soon assumed control of the contest, deservedly levelling the scores through Ché Adams’s 34th-minute header.
Millwall won a penalty a minute before half time when Michael Obafemi’s shot struck the outstretched arm of Jan Bednarek, setting up a second period played almost exclusively in the Lions’ half, but Saints could not find a way through.
“We concede two such rubbish goals, and that takes away any feeling I really have about the performance right now, so I’m furious,” Martin reflected.
“If you played it 10 times we’d win it nine times, probably, with the chances we had, and they’ve had nothing in the game.
“We’ve given them a chance for the goalkeeper to put the ball in our box, and then second phase we don’t clear the ball twice, and they get a penalty from it.
“We can’t keep giving away the goals we’ve given away in the last four games – they’ve been rubbish, absolutely rubbish.
“How I felt about some of the performances – Jack Stephens was brilliant – but all of that is overtaken by how I feel about the result. It’s nowhere near good enough for us.”
Saints had chances in the second half, chiefly through Joe Rothwell, who shot too close to Matija Šarkić, and Adam Armstrong, who was thwarted by an outstanding late save from Millwall’s Montenegrin goalkeeper.
“Some of it was good,” Martin added. “The way we got into the box, some of the runs, some of the stuff we created, but no one will care, so I’m under no illusions of that and I’m not going to come out and say it was a good performance.
“You can’t have the amount of dominance we had and the amount of ball we had in the final third and it doesn’t come to enough, so it’s always my responsibility when we lose, but the guys at the top end of the pitch, with the amount of ball we had, they have to do a bit more with the ball today.”
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