Lennon Miller: Motherwell didn't attack Rangers enough but I want more Hampden experiences
by Andy McGilvray, https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/authors/andy-mcgilvray/ · Daily RecordGet the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp
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Lennon Miller admits Motherwell could have attacked Rangers more in their Premier Sports Cup semi-final, and wants more Hampden memories.
And the 18-year-old insists a foul in the build-up to Rangers’ clincher in the 2-1 win should have seen the goal disallowed.
Miller led the team out at Hampden in the absence of injured captain Paul McGinn and vice-captain Stephen O’Donnell and while it was a proud moment, he wanted a final place against Celtic in December.
Andy Halliday gave Motherwell a half-time lead, but goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami saw the Ibrox side progress in the competition.
Miller said: “I felt we could have created more chances, if we had been more confident on the ball.
“We were disciplined off the ball, and limited them to two or three big chances, but we would like to have created more.
“What’s the down to? It’s a big game, and maybe there were some nerves in there.
“Rangers are a good team and they press well. There is always going to be the challenge there.
“I just felt we needed to have more belief in ourselves, and we didn’t, really.
“But look, this was a big achievement for us to get here in the first place, so it’s not going to set us back in any way, and we look forward to Saturday.”
Halliday reacted angrily to Rangers’ winner, and Miller asked referee Nick Walsh why that wasn’t picked up.
Dan Casey was then caught in possession as Rangers ran up the park, with Bajrami’s strike deflected over keeper Aston Oxborough.
He said: “We thought Zach Robinson had been fouled, but the referee said he played the advantage and we had the ball in control. It was outwith the attacking phase, so there was no going back.
“We thought it was a foul at the time, but these things happen.”
It’s rare for a teenager to captain a side in a national cup semi-final, and Miller hopes for more.
He said: “Personally it was a proud moment to captain the team in a semi-final at Hampden, but overall I am disappointed to come away from the game and not be in the final.
“We went in at half-time 1-0 up, but then the early goal in the second half kind of kills us and deflates us.
“We were rushed, we weren’t as controlled on the ball and we gave it back far too easily – obviously a team like Rangers are going to punish you for mistakes.
“I hope there are more Hampden appearances to come – that’s the plan.
“You want to play here as many times as you can, and this is the first of hopefully many more.
“We had over 8000 fans there, and that was massive.
“We knew we were going to get backed, they backed us in their numbers, and we’re really proud of them for creating an atmosphere out there.”
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