West Brom 0-0 Millwall: Baggies fail to make ground in play-off race after goalless draw

West Brom were frustrated by an organised Millwall as the two Championship play-off hopefuls played out a goalless draw at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies had won nine of their previous 10 home matches prior to this fixture, keeping as many clean sheets in that period and having scored in every game, but they found sixth-placed Millwall a tough nut to crack.

The opening stages were cagey, which was perhaps to be expected between two sides with still plenty to play for and much to lose.

Millwall striker Tom Bradshaw could not keep his header down when he met a delivery from the right, while Lions captain Jake Cooper nodded over the bar and George Saville almost lost the attentions of Semi Ajayi right before half-time, but the more clear-cut openings came at the other end, and with the hosts.

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Adam Reach was unable to connect cleanly with a low cross from the left after a clever spin by Brandon Thomas-Asante, but he did catch a rebound sweetly, after Jed Wallace's initial shot had been blocked, and his effort whistled past the woodwork.

Conor Townsend was denied too when he met Wallace's cross with a header which was deflected behind for a corner.

Although Thomas-Asante flashed a shot just wide from distance having been fed by John Swift for Albion, Millwall certainly began the second period the stronger of the two sides.

Young Baggies keeper Josh Griffiths, after a quiet opening 45 minutes, was forced into action when he beat away Bradshaw's near-post header.

Griffiths, who made his England Under-21s debut during the international break, was then asked another question when he parried over Zian Flemming's stinging drive as Millwall continued to be the more prominent outfit.

Gary Rowett introduced former West Brom winger Oliver Burke, while Carlos Corberan responded when he summoned USA centre forward Daryl Dike, who joined Thomas-Asante in attack. The latter slammed a low shot goalwards from inside the six-yard box as the home side sought to respond, but he found a red shirt in his way.

Dike was the subject of furious penalty appeals when he appeared to be cleaned out by Millwall keeper George Long, but the offside flag had been raised - replays suggested, though, that the final ball into Dike came off a Millwall boot.

The managers

West Brom's Carlos Corberan:

"Unfortunately, the referee didn't make the right decision. There were two actions, but maybe he saw another one which wasn't beneficial for us. To be a referee in these types of games is very, very complicated. Sometimes with VAR they have trouble making the right decisions, but it's true that if you analyse the actions of Okay and Dike, the only thing it can't be is offside. The pass is from the defender.

"The tackle, you understand, is not a foul, then the defender made an assist to Dike - it can't be offside if the defender has passed the ball. If after you understand that Dike was in a position to win the penalty, or if it's not a penalty it's a corner. The three possibilities are a foul to Okay, a penalty or a corner. The only possibility that doesn't exist is the offside, because the defender made the pass."

Millwall's Gary Rowett:

"I think to be honest there were only three players pulling him to the floor, so clearly that's not enough to get a penalty. I find it quite ridiculous how you can get dragged to the floor and 'both players are at it', or there isn't enough contact. It is a penalty, the ref has to be brave enough to give it.

"I know it's not easy. If we get it that way then maybe we run the risk of one going against us the other way, but particularly with Coops, people stand on him, they don't look at the ball, they're holding him, they keep letting people get away with it. If you look at their home record since Carlos came in, they've won 10, lost one and conceded three goals, which is absolutely ridiculous. We knew it'd be a game where if we were going to get something out of the game, we were going to have to play well. I thought we played really well and showed great composure."

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