Daily Star
Neil Harris still calls Millwall shots
Millwall legend Neil Harris insists he is still learning a thing or two.
Millwall's record scorer curled home the winner against Hartlepool with a deflected free-kick.
Harris, 32, said: "I had never taken free- kicks until the last couple of years.
Now, a few times a week I hang around with a few balls and have a go.
For me it's just another opportunity to get a shot on goal.
It's tough to do, but having a little deflection always helps."
Harris' ninth-minute strike was his 17th goal in 23 games this season and his 11th in as many games.
He said: "I don't set myself targets. I try to score in every game that I play and if that leads to all three points, that's fantastic."
A string of top-class saves from Pool keeper Scott Flinders prevented Harris and strike partner Steve Morison adding to the early goal.
Harris said: "It was a little frustrating. Going a goal up at The Den, you think you will go on from there.
"I'm slightly disappointed, me and Steve would have liked another goal each to take the pressure off the guys at the back, who have done brilliantly to keep another clean sheet."
The pick of Flinders' saves kept out Chris Hackett's second-half free-kick.
But there was nothing he could do about Harris' effort after a nasty deflection off Joe Gamble.
Flinders said: "Joe said if he had got out the way of it, I would have saved it easily.
We just didn't get that bit of luck to put the ball in the back of the net. We have got to get back to keeping clean sheets. The last time was against the Lions (in December)."
Hartlepool, who have not won away since October, launched a brave fighback towards the end.
Substitute Denis Behan flashed a shot across the face of goal while Ritchie Jones went close late on.
Evening Echo
At the start of the season, Hartlepool United appeared to have consigned the travel sickness of recent seasons to the bin.
Three wins and a draw without a goal conceded away from Victoria Park meant the new-look team were enjoying the journeys back up the M1 every other Saturday night.
After the trip to Brighton at the end of October, Pools had 12 points from nine away games and a Carling Cup win at Coventry.
Since then, however, it's been a disaster and Saturday's loss at Millwall was their eighth away defeat in a row, matching the run Neale Cooper's side achieved from August to September 2004.
If Pools lose at Yeovil in a couple of weeks, they will match a nine-game streak last chalked up in 1985.
This reverse at the New Den had all the characteristics of recent losses, when Pools were on top for spells as they took a grip of possession, with the home side hanging on at the end.
But, while Millwall scored with a deflected free-kick, Pools couldn't find a way through and another miserable trudge home was on the cards.
They aren't a million miles away from avoiding defeat. Of those eight games only at Southend and possibly Carlisle have they not deserved something.
But now, with Southend at Victoria Park on Saturday, there's no time for sob stories.
Pools have only Swindon and Colchester of the top few to play. The rest are the sort who need to be dispatched.
"The next three games are winnable, against the sort of teams we should be beating,'' said Scott Flinders, who was beaten by a big deflection from Joe Gamble for the game's decisive goal.
"We need points, not so much performances. We don't need to play the pretty football, but we just need the wins.
It's the stage of the season when teams are drifting off to the play-off zone and we are drifting off at the other end of the table towards the relegation zone. We need to climb the table.
There's not much talk among the lads about it (relegation). We all look at the table, but our focus is on the game each Saturday.'' He added: "At the start of the season we knew we had a tough period at this stage.
Now it's over we know we have an easier run in against teams in and around us.
Tuesday's win over Carlisle was important, now the Southend game on Saturday is just as important. They lost on Friday night to Charlton, which was a bit of a favour for us.
I think the gap is three points, Saturday is a must win. We've always been outside the bottom four and now it's important we stay out of it with a win over Southend.
We know we are a better team than a bottom four one.
We have played well against teams above us, but lost. We know we are a good side, now it's about winning and proving it.''
Harris has caused his share of problems for Pools in recent games.
His nine-minute hat-trick at Victoria Park last season summed up Pools' fragile nature; this goal said it all about how things are going this time around.
Sam Collins was harshly judged to have bundled Harris over.
The free-kick was clipped at the wall, and diverted off Joe Gamble to the side of the goal Flinders couldn't cover.
But Pools should have levelled minutes later.
Colin Larkin's quick turn and touch laid the ball into Antony Sweeney's path.
From an almost identical spot at the New Den three years ago he drilled in the winning goal.
This time he opted for placement rather than power and hit it straight at keeper David Forde.
Flinders saved well from a Chris Hackett free-kick and Harris wasted the chance to add another from the corner when he lobbed over.
Pools were off the pace on the beach of a pitch in the first-half, but in the secondhalf they pressed more.
Ritchie Jones met Roy O'Donovan's cross to the far post and his looping header was tipped from under the bar by Forde.
"We could have got something, second-half especially. We put balls into the box without that last bit of luck we need," said Flinders.
"First-half was disappointing and we could have played like they did by getting the ball down the sides.
For the goal, it came off Joe's head. He said if he got out of the way I would have saved it quite comfortably. It sums up the sort of luck we are having right now.
The defenders in front of me got some great blocks in to help me a lot. I made saves when I had to but we need to keep clean sheets like we were at the start of the season - the last one was the Millwall game earlier in the season.
Early on we were defending well and throwing bodies in the way and I'm sure we will get there again - back to how we were.''