Bruce extends his unbeaten start at Wednesday with point at Millwall
MILLWALL 0 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0 CHAMPIONSHIP SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY continued their unbeaten start under Steve Bruce as they played out a 0-0 draw against Millwall at the Den.
The home side failed to score for the third home league game in a row despite having a fairer share of the very few chances as Wednesday continued their run of not conceding under their new boss.
Neil Harris’s side made a bright start playing with plenty of ambition in the first 10 minutes and finding joy down the right wing where Mahlon Romeo and Jed Wallace combined well a number of times.
Romeo’s cross for Ben Marshall forced the excellent Michael Hector to clear off the line while another low ball in from Wallace almost produced an opportunity for Lee Gregory, before Marshall and Aiden O’Brien saw their follow-ups blocked.
But then the chances dried up for the home side, who are yet to find the net at home in the Championship in 2019, and the game became a scrappy midfield battle.
Wallace stung Keiren Westwood’s palms with a freekick after half an hour, and Romeo tested him from range, but clear-cut chances were hard to come by against a Wednesday side who have become a well organised unit under Bruce.
The visitors offered next to nothing going forward, failing to force Jordan Archer into any meaningful action at all before the break.
The Millwall keeper was needed just two minutes after the interval however, beating away Lucas Joao’s powerful effort from the edge of the box. And Archer might have been in trouble had Hector managed to hit the target from an Adam Reach cross, but the defender could only glance wide.
It was the home side who continued to have the better of the play. O’Brien was twice denied by Westwood, who first saved a near post flicked header and then stood tall to push away a venomous drive following good work from Gregory.
Substitute Steve Morison had a chance to win it for Millwall 10 minutes from time but fired wide when through on goal.
Minutes later the veteran striker’s knock-down found Marshall, only for his header to be hacked off the line by Jordan Thorniley.
At the other end, Steven Fletcher fired just wide with the last kick of the game, but neither side would have merited all three points.
The draw lifts Millwall five points clear of the relegation zone while Wednesday remain 16th in the Championship table.
Millwall: Archer, Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, M Wallace, J Wallace, Leonard, Williams, Marshall (Ferguson 82), O’Brien (Morison 71), Gregory (Onyedinma 82). Unused substitutes: Thompson, Pearce, Martin, Tunnicliffe.
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer, Hector, Thorniley, Fox, Reach, Hutchinson, Pelupessy (Boyd 46), Bannan, Lucas Joao (Forestieri 77), Fletcher. Unused substitutes:
Nuhiu, Dawson, Iorfa, Lazaar, Aarons.
Referee: T Robinson (West Sussex).
■ Famara Diedhiou’s injury-time penalty maintained Bristol City’s winning run as they came from behind to beat QPR 2-1 in the Championship.
The game looked to be heading for a draw after Niclas Eliasson’s effort cancelled out Matt Smith’s opener for the visitors but Diedhiou held his nerve to convert the spot-kick after Luke Freeman had fouled Josh Brownhill.
It was a ninth straight win for City in all competitions, with their seventh in the league moving them up to fifth in the table.
There was also a late penalty at The Hawthorns where Jay Rodriguez scored to earn West Brom a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, who had twice led.
A Stefan Johansen own goal gave Forest the half-time lead, only for Jacob Murphy to equalise at the start of the second half.
Ryan Yates restored Forest’s advantage in the 65th minute but they were denied victory when Alexander Milosevic fouled Dwight Gayle, allowing Rodriguez to net from the penalty spot for his 17th goal of the season.
There was an important win for Bolton towards the bottom of the table as Callum Connolly’s second-half goal gave them a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at St Andrews.
Guiseley gained another valuable point against a side aiming for promotion after drawing 1-1 at AFC Telford United in National League North.
Telford took the lead after 10 minutes through Daniel Udoh, before Scott Smith equalised.