The Lions had eight players unavailable against the Robins, with their midfield particularly depleted and their troubles threatening to stall their play-off push in the Championship.

But Macaulay Langstaff’s late winner ended a four-match winless run and lifted the hosts up to fifth in the table, leapfrogging their visitors in the process as they dropped to eighth.

Neil said: “I thought the game ebbed and flowed much more extremely than a normal game would.

“I think you can see in recent games that we’ve been stretched – Hull springs to mind.

“I didn’t think Hull were great in the game and took it away from us, I thought we took it away from ourselves by making stupid errors. Then obviously at Derby we concede a late goal, which is unlike us as well.

“So, I think it was really important. Ipswich was a good point, given how the game was, so I just think we needed to get back with a win, especially for the fans.

“The fans are demanding here, they expect us to win the home games – that’s what they’ve come for, they want to be entertained.

“I certainly think the game tonight ebbed and flowed that much, it was certainly entertaining and we managed to get the right side of the result.”

Millwall led after 16 minutes through Camiel Neghli’s first goal since September, but Adam Randell opened his Bristol City account to draw them level four minutes into the second half.

The Lions had to withstand some heavy pressure but snatched victory in the 81st minute when Langstaff hooked in a loose ball from close range.

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber said: “Really frustrated and really disappointed with how we lose this game today.

“I would say there are so many things in this game I’m really happy with – to play an opponent like that with a long-ball strategy and win many first balls and many second balls exactly the way what we want.

“I would say most of the time we controlled the game and not play with the chaos they want, but two times in our box we didn’t defend at the level we have to be, especially against Millwall.

“We know how they bring men into the box and this was, in the end, not the level what you need that you can bring points home.

“At the same time, in the second half we scored a goal, we were so in the driver’s seat in all directions, we felt we were so much nearer to the second goal than Millwall.”