Jackett praises Keogh-Kane partnershop as Keogh penalty seals it for Millwall

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett hailed his players, including the partnership between Andy Keogh and Harry Kane, after they secured npower Championship survival with today’s 2-1 victory against play-off hopefuls Leicester.

The Lions trounced City at the King Power Stadium earlier in the season and were on course to complete the double after 23 minutes when Tottenham loanee Harry Kane struck home.

Andy Keogh put Millwall further ahead 10 minutes into the second half and, despite substitute Danny Drinkwater’s effort ensuring a nervy ending, they held out for a third successive win.

“I am very, very pleased,” manager Jackett said. “To some degree it has been a tough season, which we finished with a good run of form and a good run of results.

“We are very pleased rather to do it sooner rather than later. We have had some form off the back of Andy Keogh and Kane’s partnership.

“It has been a good partnership up front for us and has given us a threat all of the time, which at different stages of the season we haven’t had.

“We have battled away and perhaps lost games like that by the odd goal and then the confidence falls away.

“That partnership up front has given us something to work off as a side. Also Josh Wright has come in and done well in a problem area for us, where we’ve had an awful lot of injuries with last year’s player of the year Tamika Mkandawire, Therry Racon and Liam Trotter out.

“Maik Taylor has been very steady in goal as well so as the season has gone on we have changed slightly and I am pleased to say we have hit a good run of form, finished by a terrific and very hard-earned victory today.”

Millwall can now look forward to another season in the second tier, where they may well be facing Leicester once again.

Today’s loss severely dents the Foxes’ play-off hopes, leaving them six points shy of the top six with three matches remaining.

“It is a big blow [to our play-off ambitions],” Leicester manager Nigel Pearson said. “I have not actually had a look at all the other results yet, but I think we always had to try and win our last six games to have a realistic chance.

“We needed to win them all probably, but we have got three games left still and we will be back to business on Tuesday.

“But it was a disappointing result for us because I think we started the game very well. We conceded a goal, which I think was a bit of a trademark of Millwall in terms of how they put pressure on the physical side of it.

“Our first-half performance was okay, but of course to concede a second goal so quickly into the second half changed the complexion of the game.

“It allowed them to really control the game so it is a disappointing result for us, there is no doubt about that.”