Millwall vs West Bromwich Albion. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Millwall and West Brom at The Den as Mason Bennett and Benik Afobe scored in the second half to seal victory for the Lions.
Saturday 29 January 2022 20:06, UK
Mason Bennett and Benik Afobe's second-half heroics lifted mid-table Millwall to a 2-0 home win over promotion-chasers West Brom at The Den.
The Lions deserved their first win of 2022 following a dominant second-half performance, while Valerien Ismael's side have only one win in their last seven matches.
Andy Carroll, previously on the books at Reading, made his debut for the visitors after completing a free transfer to the Baggies on Friday.
In the fifth minute Carroll nearly made his mark with a powerful strike on target from 12 yards out but Millwall keeper Bartosz Bialkowski pushed the chance away with a reflex goal-line save.
The hosts had half-chances including Scott Malone's half-volley and Danny McNamara's off-target shot.
Neither threatened West Brom goalkeeper David Button, who maintained his starting place due to an internal disciplinary issue involving number one Sam Johnstone.
McNamara's great run down the right created a golden opportunity for the hosts after 25 minutes, but the pass just eluded the advancing Afobe in front of goal.
Millwall started the second half on the front foot, with Afobe unable to keep down his shot in the 18-yard box before Oliver Burke mishit his second attempt when one-on-one with Button.
Further chances for the hosts came when Burke was too heavy with his first touch from an excellent 54th-minute cross, and when Bennett shot wide of the target two minutes later.
West Brom's Callum Robinson made an immediate impression from the bench, his cross deflected and forcing Bialkowski into a good low save.
The resulting corner caused havoc in the box, but was quickly dealt with by the Polish keeper calmly gathering the ball.
Millwall's opener came in the 67th minute through Bennett's low shot. He was the quickest to react to a loose ball in the box following a Lions free-kick, with Albion unable to clear their lines.
Their second followed within nine minutes. Afobe's beautiful piece of skill helped him to round the defender while running towards goal, before placing his shot into the corner out of the reach of Button.
Disgruntled visiting fans threw a flare onto the pitch with 10 minutes to play and West Brom failed to make any late chances to try to get back into proceedings.
Millwall's Gary Rowett: "The confidence of the squad is my priority. If you don't win games, it's never simple. It's about the players and having pride after the game. The last three games have been difficult. It's about us showing character. Today, I thought we competed brilliantly. I thought we defended superbly. Our front three were an absolute handful at times. There was lots of things to be positive about today.
"In the second half, we were the dominant team with chances, territory, forward running and quality. It was whether we could score one of those chances. It was that frustration whether we would find that quality. Thankfully we did. We scored two really good goals, we should have scored more. I can't remember anything but a set-piece where we looked like we were threatened. There were lots of big performances within the game itself."
West Brom's Valerien Ismael: "It is, for us, very, very painful," said Ismael, who watched disgruntled Baggies supporters throw a flare onto the pitch in the closing exchanges. If you don't win games you are getting in trouble. If you are not able to accept that as a manager, then you are wrong for the job. I didn't perform like I expected.
"I know myself, I am my biggest critic. A lot of things you can't explain throughout the season - injuries. It's not an excuse but you have to get the result. If you get the result, you get time, confidence, and belief. If not, you get in trouble. It does not mean I run away from anything. I take my responsibility, and the next responsibility is to prepare for the next game."
