Iron loanee Jim O’Brien was delighted to come off the bench and score, as he helped United on their way to a deserved 2-0 victory at Millwall.
Gary McSheffrey netted the opener after 16 minutes, and that looked like it would be the game's only goal, until debutant O’Brien slotted home in the first minute of stoppage time to seal the victory after the Lions failed to clear their lines.O’Brien told The Iron PlayerHD how he enjoys playing at the Den, having added to the goal he scored for parent club Coventry there earlier in the season.
“It was nice to get on the pitch,” he said.
“Obviously I scored a goal, but to get a win here is a big deal, because it’s a tough place to come to. They’re always dangerous from set-plays as well, but on a whole I’m really pleased."
The team had to put their bodies on the line at times as they looked to limit Millwall’s chances - something O’Brien picked up on.
“It was a gutsy performance, and the guys are in there are buzzing. Sometimes you’ve got to win ugly, and I think we did the ugly things really well," he added.
“I scored here at the start of the season as well, so it has been pretty kind to me this ground. It was nice to get on, and the goal gave us a bit of breathing space in the game because they were putting a bit of pressure on us.”
Jim O'Brien celebrates scoring the second goal at Millwall.
Having signed on loan for United on Monday, O’Brien played against the Lions without training with the squad yet.
“I wasn’t training with the lads here on Monday, I was still in Coventry, so I’m still trying to get to know some names what players are like as well," he stated.
“I know (Stephen) Dawson, (Scott) Wiseman and (Jordan) Clarke – and I know Gary McSheffrey and Paddy (Madden) too, so hopefully it shouldn’t take me too long to settle in.
“I know a lot of the other lads’ trends from playing against them as well. It’s a great bunch, and I can tell everybody really likes each other – it’s a special group.”
McSheffrey started for only the first time in 12 weeks, due to injury. The Scotsman was happy to come on when his fellow winger began to tire a little.
He said: “You’ve got to play the game that is in front of you, and they were making it tough for us. That was Sheff's first start in 12 weeks, so it was nice for him to come off and to get some fresh legs on there.”
Victory meant United had secured a fourth win in a row for the first time since January 2009, and they will be looking to make it five on Saturday when Fleetwood travel to Glanford Park.
He continued: “I wouldn’t say goals are rare for me, but I don’t score a lot – so it’s a nice feeling. The lads are buzzing because they know they’ve earned the three points tonight. We’ve got the momentum now, and we will try to take that into Saturday.”
See much more from Jim O'Brien, Nick Daws and Gary McSheffrey on The Iron PlayerHD.
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