Solly March's 95th-minute equaliser sent the game into extra-time
Monday 18 March 2019 10:19, UK
Neil Harris believes Millwall were better than Brighton during their dramatic FA Cup quarter-final loss as the Lions were eventually beaten 5-4 on penalties.
Millwall were leading the tie 2-0 heading into the 88th minute, but late goals from Jurgen Locadia and Solly March saw the game go to extra-time before Brighton won the shootout.
Lions manager Harris says his Millwall side were better and a human error from goalkeeper David Martin - who let March's free-kick slip through his fingers - cost them a semi-final place.
"What an outstanding performance for 94 minutes," he said. "First and foremost, I feel for Dave Martin. He was excellent throughout the game, commanded his box and made some saves. It was a good kick in but he made a slight error of judgement and it's cost us.
"He's a top pro and one of the nicest players I've ever come across in football. The way my team played, the running ability, some of our play with the ball, the two goals we scored - it was all great play and what gives me the most pride is that we were better than Brighton today.
"Our opportunity to win the quarter-final was 2-0 up in the 88th minute. Would I change anything I did? Not at all because the players on the pitch should have been capable of seeing out a two-goal lead with the amount of defensive players and leadership we had on the pitch. What you can't do is legislate for human error and that's what cost us."
Millwall will now focus on the Sky Bet Championship as they look to steer themselves out of a relegation battle with nine games of the season to play.
Harris added: "For me today, we matched and surpassed a Brighton side that is doing really well in the Premier League. We've now got nine cup finals left. This has been a great adventure, the FA Cup, and we've had some great games and we have to take those battling qualities into those nine cup finals.
"The biggest game by far is Leeds away in two weeks. We'll enjoy the break and then we've got five games at The Den in the last eight games of the season."
Brighton have now made it to their first FA Cup semi-final since 1983 and will face Manchester City, but despite the seemingly daunting opponent, manager Chris Hughton says anything can happen on the day.
"It's very difficult to get to this stage of the competition so you know it isn't going to come round too often," he said.
"When it does, I think you have to big up the occasion as much as possible, praise those that have got us there and try to enjoy it the best we can.
"I don't think I am saying anything out of turn when I say that the three of us [Brighton and other semi-finalists, Wolves and Watford] would have wanted to avoid Man City. At this moment, they are one of the best teams in the world and still going in four competitions.
"But as this weekend showed, teams can get close, there can be upsets and if you have enough going for you, and the opposition don't have one of their better days, who knows what can happen."
VAR has also been back in the spotlight this weekend, with Sky Bet Championship grounds not having the technology, although a few incidents needed it at The Den on Sunday, particularly for Brighton.
Hughton added: "The feeling was that we should have had a penalty for a foul on Duffy, there was a foul on the build-up to the first goal and Montoya being through [he was flagged offside in the last minute of extra-time but was onside].
"I don't think it's fair that some games don't have VAR. if I'm a team who has benefited from it in one game, I certainly don't think it's fair on the teams that don't benefit from it."
