Bournemouth 1-1 Millwall: Matt Smith goal earns Lions draw
- Published
Matt Smith has not started a game for Millwall in more than a month
Substitute Matt Smith scored with his first touch to give strugglers Millwall a well-deserved draw at Bournemouth.
Only a minute after coming on, the striker got on the end of a Jake Cooper flick to poke the ball past Asmir Begovic and earn Millwall a point.
Dominic Solanke's 10th Championship goal of the season had put the Cherries ahead, a powerful strike from a tricky angle that beat Lions keeper Bartosz Bialkowski at his near post.
The visitors almost levelled earlier but Kenneth Zohore's drilled free-kick hit the post while Bournemouth came closest to a late winner when Joshua King lashed just wide.
Jason Tindall's hosts missed the chance to move up to second and are five points behind leaders Norwich, while the point was Millwall's 11th draw of the season and leaves them with only one win from their past 14 league matches.
An early David Brooks shot - after a dribble into the box - was well saved by Bialkowski as the Cherries started brightly, but his opposite number Begovic twice denied Millwall midfielder Jed Wallace, from a one-on-one and then a free-kick.
Solanke's opener on the stroke of half-time came after a wonderful turn, run and pass from Junior Stanislas, with the former Liverpool striker's stinging shot too hot to handle.
Bournemouth were set for a third home league game without conceding for the first time since October 2014 but allowed the second half to drift, and when on-loan West Brom striker Zohore sent his 20-yard free-kick under the wall and against the foot of the post the visitors could sense their chance.
Smith was sent on as part of a triple change by Millwall boss Gary Rowett and from a long free-kick inside the Lions' own half the former QPR striker showed good movement to provide the finish from his team-mate's header.
Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall told BBC Radio Solent:
"Unfortunately for us they ended up scoring from a set play which was disappointing in the sense of how we defended it and ultimately that's cost us the two points.
"They look to frustrate, get people behind the ball and then they look to wait for a mistake and hit you on the counter attack or score from a set play.
"But you still have to defend the situation better and that was the disappointing thing.
"Once we got ourselves in front I thought we'd be OK and create another moment that would hopefully put the game to bed, but we didn't."
Millwall boss Gary Rowett:
"I did not think the substitution would work within one touch so I am not going to claim that as a genius decision.
"We had far better chances and more than twice the number of shots of Bournemouth.
"We had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, had one shot cleared off the line, hit the post and had numerous other chances.
"To concede so late in the first half after playing so well was a real slap in the face.
"That is Norwich away, a point, and Bournemouth away, a point. You have to look at those as good points."