Some Thoughts: Confidence and momentum by Steve_M 16 Aug 2017 7:58
I'm sure I'm not the only one who'll be walking around today with a stupid great grin on their face but bloody hell that was some match. Not really a great deal of quality but lots of endeavour, and awful defending, from both sides. 3-3 would have been a good result and I would still be writing a positive post this morning - but to snatch the winner was superb.

We're really stretched as a squad at the moment, three full backs and four strikers in the starting XI demonstrated that, and I think it showed at times. We struggled to keep the ball in the second half and invited a bit too much pressure.

What we did too well was attack with purpose and cohesion, you'll all have seen the goals by now but each of them represents something good we didn't see enough of last season:

- Iorfa's drive forward and early pass to Garner,
- Garner picking out Ward, a great cross and magnificent run and finish for the second;
- Garner playing McGoldrick in early and great skill plus a run into space from MW;
- a great ball in and a well directed header.

And all that after conceding before the game had even got going. The first half was pretty much non-stop action, there was almost more incident in that than in September and October last season.

I thought Millwall were decent, quick and direct and looking to hit the front men early but with runners off them. They'll be frustrated but they'll do well at home playing like that, much better to go and play them than the godawful side Holloway left them with a few years ago. The New Den is a loud ground at times and they tend to get behind their team.

In view of that and our injuries, I'm not going to be too critical of our use of the ball second half but it was in marked contrast to Birmingham and Luton. The easy short options to recycle possession were just not presenting themselves and the ball was given away time and time again.

And yet, we looked like we had weathered most of what Millwall had thrown at us, before giving away a daft free kick. It looked a foul in our box from where I was but we were out-muscled and it was an easy equaliser after that.

But we came back again, and for what it's worth I thought Ward fouled the defender first for the winner. Oh well, I'm sure you lot care as much as I do about that. Great cross and a proper celebration - best one I've been part of since Tommy Smith in the play-off game I think.

I don't think Town fans have been asking for a lot from the side, even if I think some of the criticism last season was over the top, but the difference in mood is enormous. There was a buzz in the ground as I walked in (and more than a little noise around London Bridge at 5:30) and good support throughout.

Add that to the belief, tenacity and energy on the pitch and we've got a better season in prospect already. We're a long way from sustaining this at the moment but there is something to build on in a way there hasn't seemed to be for 18 months.

Three years ago it was the run of wins in September and the even better run in November and December that brought belief flooding back. We go to the point of not being worried about going behind, even at Bournemouth which was still the most I've seen us outplayed in a long while and the run up to Christmas was brilliant.

Similarly, Magilton's side in 2007-08 got off to a great start and were only really held back by poor away form (although there was no need for the EADT to make such a big deal out of that so early on). Another season where football felt fun again and the confidence stayed high throughout.

It's worth remembering that two seasons ago we had a good August before we played Brighton and Reading and it all fell apart but I think there is a bit more of a sense of purpose to this team. There is an energy about us again, a much better tempo to our play and a sense of dogged determination, the McCarthy attributes we didn't see enough off last season. And given we have Huws and Adyemi to come back as well then there is more quality to add to the midfield too.

We will lose a match or two soon, how we respond to that will be important and that goes for fans as well as players. The next two home games will be a harder test, two sides much better in possession than we are but I'm looking forward to Saturday a lot.