Millwall fell to a 1-0 defeat away to Barnet in a pre-season friendly at The Hive on Saturday.

Barnet striker John Akinde did enough to tame the Lions as they held on to a clean sheet in a hard-fought victory.

Here are five things we learned…  

The performance was disappointing but nothing to write home about

Millwall boss Neil Harris was right to be calm about the defeat to Barnet on Saturday. It is true that his side struggled to contain the opposition at times and perhaps underestimated them, particularly in the first half.

Time and again Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro delivered crosses into the box from out wide that panicked the Millwall, and Akinde easily could have had at least two goals. Maybe even three, however, it was his finishing that let him down.

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But one result does not change the confidence the team has so much as it does personnel. In addition, credit should be given to Barnet’s ruthless defending to repeatedly frustrate Lee Gregory and Steve Morison all game.

Overall, the response needs to be stronger against Stevenage on Tuesday and especially when Granada visit the Den.

The Ferguson-Meredith dynamic will be key

A strong positive from Saturday was the relationship between Shane Ferguson and James Meredith down the left wing.

Both were productive at either end of the pitch and their tireless energy accounted for a significant part in Millwall’s chances.

While neither’s deliveries were greatly consistent, they were enough to be a primary option.

Harris said after the game that the team’s selection was based around attacking from wide areas, so the results will be encouraging. It just needs more time.

McLaughlin and Hutchinson still have work to do

If Harris’ post-match comments were anything to go by, then Conor McLaughlin and Shaun Hutchinson’s performances will have raised some eyebrows.

For one, McLaughlin probably will not be too pleased with his showing against Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro, and had Barnet been more clinical in front of goal, then it could have been more than 1-0.

Hutchinson might also look back at how he defended, particularly when a Millwall throw-in turned into a Barnet counter-attack and his attempt to stop Akinde led to Webster becoming the last defender.

It felt like one of a few errors which could have been avoided, and not the sort of performance that provides encouragement.

If it were not for Webster’s presence then you could perhaps argue that Millwall would have been punished more severely.

Not difficult to see why Saville was brought in

The signing of George Saville adds a major dynamic to Harris’ midfield personnel.

His comfort in getting on the ball and initiating attacks is critically important, so Lions fans should be expecting a lot from him especially after his last campaign at The Den.

MORE: Harris sends stern warning to Millwall players after pre-season defeat to Barnet

So given Harris’ comments after the game about his side’s ‘sloppy’ and ‘laboured’ use of the ball, the performance resonated with a need to be better in possession. In particular, a key figure that can distribute it effectively and keep things ticking over.

Expectations are high for Saville, and might need to be tempered, but the Barnet showing highlighted the gap that he has been brought in to fill.

But the Lions are still nearly the complete article

Perhaps depth at the back will be a key concern to manage this season but, other than some minor additions, the squad looks promising.

Chiefly, competition for Webster, Hutchinson and skipper Tony Craig, but also possibly for newcomer James Meredith since Noah Chesmain is the other natural left-back.

There are other options – Craig, Ferguson and Shaun Cummings – but you are better off safe than sorry at Championship level given its unforgiving nature over 46 games. Plus, Ferguson playing further afield nearer to the opposition’s final third looks more productive than focusing on defending.

Aside from the result against Barnet, there were also a few missing faces - namely new singings George Saville, Jed Wallace and Tom Elliot. It was far from the Lions’ strongest side, so there is still more to come.