Their plight was summed up on the whistle. After a game Millwall just had to win in order to retain any hope of survival, the supporters warmly applauded as they trudged off. The fans realise what dreadful circumstances interim manager Neil Harris has pitched up in. It was better but ultimately not enough. The Lions looked every bit a side to have scored just three goals in their previous eight games; plenty of huff, but very little puff. Had Brighton’s Joe Bennett not crashed the bar from 25 yards and later blazed wildly over, it might’ve been worse. Millwall now look consigned to relegation and upbeat Harris will treat the remaining eight fixtures as an audition for when the club make a permanent decision on Ian Holloway’s successor in the summer. Millwall's Aiden O'Brien (right) and Brighton and Hove Albion's Beram Kayal (left) battle for the ball . Milwall winger Martyn Woolford (right) dribbles with the ball during the match against Brighton at The Den . Millwall (4-4-2): Forde, Cummings, Nelson, Hooiveld, Harding, O'Brien (Gueye 73), Abdou, Williams, Woolford (Fabbrini 81), Taylor-Fletcher (Maierhofer 73), Gregory . Subs not used: Upson, Beevers, Fuller, Archer . Booked: Woolford, Taylor-Fletcher . Brighton (4-4-2): Stockdale, Bruno, Halford, Greer, Bennett, Holla, Kayal (Lua Lua 45), Calderon, Stephens, Mackail-Smith (Teixeira 75), Best (O'Grady 75) Subs not used: Hughes, Ince, Walton, Ledesma . Referee: Andy Woolmer . Attendance: 9,105 . ‘The boys couldn’t give me any more apart from a goal,’ he said. ‘The support they gave was absolutely terrific. We’re just trying to give them the belief, to get the fans back onside.’ Harris believes this is already a side the fans can identify with again after disaffection under Holloway. ‘I wasn’t always the best player on the pitch here but I played with my heart on my sleeve,’ he added. ‘We maybe lacked a little bit of creativity in the final third and we’re searching for a goal to kickstart us. ‘The league table doesn’t lie - games are running out. You have to start somewhere. We need to add to that. ‘We’re in a difficult position but we’ve got games to win.’ This isn’t fair on the young boss. It could well be a case of right job, wrong time for the man who’s adopted the club for which he appeared in the 2004 FA Cup final and who stood right behind him when beating testicular cancer. Brighton defender Bruno Saltor (left) slides across to challenge Millwall's Aiden O'Brien (right) on the wing . Brighton striker Leon Best (left) prepares to cross the ball ahead of Millwall's Dan Harding (right) The caretaker has brought more intensity and, while Brighton’s Leon Best drew a smart save from David Forde at the near post, the better opportunities fell to Shaun Williams and Aiden O’Brien. These were small steps in a mission to rejuvenate themselves, and something Chris Hughton has noted. ‘They started well,’ the Brighton boss said. ‘I expected that. They’ve got a very good club man in the job at the moment. Everybody here respects him.’ Respect means Harris won’t be implicated in the probable relegation, and for now he’s just intent on putting smiles back on some faces. Brighton forward Craig Mackail-Smith (left) and Millwall's Lewis Drunk (right) tussle for the ball at The Den . Brighton's Beram Kayal (left) tackles Millwall's O'Brien during the Championship match at The Den .
Millwall's chances of beating relegation continue to look unlikely .
The Lions were held to a goalless draw by Brighton at The Den .
Neil Harris' side are 23rd in the Championship table after the result .
Their plight was summed up on the whistle. After a game Millwall just had to win in order to retain any hope of survival, the supporters warmly applauded as they trudged off. The fans realise what dreadful circumstances interim manager Neil Harris has pitched up in. It was better but ultimately not enough. The Lions looked every bit a side to have scored just three goals in their previous eight games; plenty of huff, but very little puff. Had Brighton’s Joe Bennett not crashed the bar from 25 yards and later blazed wildly over, it might’ve been worse. Millwall now look consigned to relegation and upbeat Harris will treat the remaining eight fixtures as an audition for when the club make a permanent decision on Ian Holloway’s successor in the summer. Millwall's Aiden O'Brien (right) and Brighton and Hove Albion's Beram Kayal (left) battle for the ball . Milwall winger Martyn Woolford (right) dribbles with the ball during the match against Brighton at The Den . Millwall (4-4-2): Forde, Cummings, Nelson, Hooiveld, Harding, O'Brien (Gueye 73), Abdou, Williams, Woolford (Fabbrini 81), Taylor-Fletcher (Maierhofer 73), Gregory . Subs not used: Upson, Beevers, Fuller, Archer . Booked: Woolford, Taylor-Fletcher . Brighton (4-4-2): Stockdale, Bruno, Halford, Greer, Bennett, Holla, Kayal (Lua Lua 45), Calderon, Stephens, Mackail-Smith (Teixeira 75), Best (O'Grady 75) Subs not used: Hughes, Ince, Walton, Ledesma . Referee: Andy Woolmer . Attendance: 9,105 . ‘The boys couldn’t give me any more apart from a goal,’ he said. ‘The support they gave was absolutely terrific. We’re just trying to give them the belief, to get the fans back onside.’ Harris believes this is already a side the fans can identify with again after disaffection under Holloway. ‘I wasn’t always the best player on the pitch here but I played with my heart on my sleeve,’ he added. ‘We maybe lacked a little bit of creativity in the final third and we’re searching for a goal to kickstart us. ‘The league table doesn’t lie - games are running out. You have to start somewhere. We need to add to that. ‘We’re in a difficult position but we’ve got games to win.’ This isn’t fair on the young boss. It could well be a case of right job, wrong time for the man who’s adopted the club for which he appeared in the 2004 FA Cup final and who stood right behind him when beating testicular cancer. Brighton defender Bruno Saltor (left) slides across to challenge Millwall's Aiden O'Brien (right) on the wing . Brighton striker Leon Best (left) prepares to cross the ball ahead of Millwall's Dan Harding (right) The caretaker has brought more intensity and, while Brighton’s Leon Best drew a smart save from David Forde at the near post, the better opportunities fell to Shaun Williams and Aiden O’Brien. These were small steps in a mission to rejuvenate themselves, and something Chris Hughton has noted. ‘They started well,’ the Brighton boss said. ‘I expected that. They’ve got a very good club man in the job at the moment. Everybody here respects him.’ Respect means Harris won’t be implicated in the probable relegation, and for now he’s just intent on putting smiles back on some faces. Brighton forward Craig Mackail-Smith (left) and Millwall's Lewis Drunk (right) tussle for the ball at The Den . Brighton's Beram Kayal (left) tackles Millwall's O'Brien during the Championship match at The Den .
look consigned to relegation and upbeat Harris the match against Brighton at The Den . Millwall maybe lacked a little bit of creativity in the Millwall's O'Brien during the Championship match