Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and West Bromwich Albion at The Den on Good Friday | John Swift penalty earns point for Baggies after Duncan Watmore opener.
Friday 29 March 2024 16:27, UK
John Swift's penalty rescued a point for play-off chasing West Brom as they extended their unbeaten run to seven league games with a 1-1 draw at Millwall.
The Lions controlled the first half and were a goal ahead at the break after a fine finish from Duncan Watmore.
However, Swift converted a penalty to ensure the Baggies sealed a seventh game unbeaten in all competitions for the first time since their 2019/20 Championship campaign.
A lively pre-match atmosphere intensified ahead of kick-off as West Brom's players took the knee to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
The Den got even louder when referee James Bell waved away appeals for handball after Kyle Bartley blocked George Honeyman's cross inside the box.
Zian Flemming won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 17th minute having surged straight through the Baggies' defence. However, his driven effort from the resulting set-piece deflected behind for a corner.
The pressure finally told four minutes later when Watmore pounced on a loose ball before calmly stroking it past Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer to give the hosts the lead.
Carlos Corberan's side were struggling to deal with Millwall's direct approach and it should have been 2-0 when Michael Obafemi went through on goal from a long ball but his effort was straight at Palmer.
Watmore almost turned provider with 10 minutes left of the half, orchestrating some neat play on the edge of the box before feeding Billy Mitchell, who fired wide from close range.
The visitors finally got on the front foot as the half drew to a close but former Millwall favourite Jed Wallace scuffed his shot after being picked out by Grady Diangana.
Corberan's side maintained that pressure at the start of the second half, whipping several dangerous balls into the box and controlling possession.
Watmore missed a golden opportunity to give his side a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute, blasting the ball over the bar from the centre of the box.
Obafemi was fouled just outside the area as the Lions appeared to retake control of the clash and moments later Honeyman forced a desperate block from Conor Townsend.
However, Millwall were made to pay for missed opportunities in the 67th minute when Diangana appeared to be tripped by Joe Bryan inside the penalty area.
Bell pointed to the penalty spot and Swift made no mistake, firing the ball into the bottom-left corner.
The Baggies were almost ahead moments later after Alex Mowatt was picked out on the edge of the box by Tom Fellows but his strike did not trouble Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic.
Neither side created a clear-cut chance during a quiet end to a fiery encounter in South London.
Millwall's Neil Harris:
"What a good Millwall performance for so much of that game, especially in the first half. I thought West Brom nailed it in the first five minutes, they slowed it down and retained the ball to stop us getting near them, but then we grew into the game.
"We had them rattled, and they're a really good side with really good players, but we bossed it. We should have been 3-0 up, we should have been out of sight at half-time.
"If you don't see teams off at this level you get punished by a moment and when they have quality one-on-one players you get found wanting.
"So a glass half full in the sense that it was a really strong performance, a really good point gained against a good side but there is disappointment because we deserved the three.
"The lads have come in saying it should have been out of sight and Matija's not had a save to make all game. We have made a really good side look ordinary and we looked like a really good Millwall side."
West Brom's Carlos Corberan:
"That's why they are competing at this level. They are a competitive team and for me one of the teams that their position in the table is not reflective of the level of their squad.
"Over the last five or six games they have lost one game and in the summer their target would have been to reach the play-offs.
"When there are many good teams in the Championship this can happen to good teams.
"I think that today was a tough game, there were two teams with two different styles.
"In the first half they were better than us but in the second half, with our style, we were a little bit better than them.
"There is also the feeling of a result, today we have had to work hard to get the point.
"It has been a game where we were not brilliant and we didn't create enough chances, we tried but we couldn't."
