Championship
MillwallMillwall1West BromWest Bromwich Albion1

Millwall 1-1 West Bromwich Albion: John Swift penalty earns Baggies a draw at The Den

John Swift scored Albion's 67th-minute penalty equaliser at Millwall
John Swift's penalty equaliser was his eighth goal of the season - but only his second in six months

West Bromwich Albion stretched their unbeaten run to seven games as John Swift's second-half penalty earned the Championship play-off hopefuls a point at Millwall.

Millwall were ahead on 21 minutes when Duncan Watmore found himself in the clear, before clipping home a confident right-foot finish from the edge of the box as Albion keeper Alex Palmer came off his line.

It was only Watmore's fifth goal for the Lions since being signed from Sunderland by then-Millwall boss Gary Rowett on transfer deadline day in January 2023.

But the Baggies levelled when an innocent-looking challenge by Joe Bryan in the right corner of the penalty area on Grady Diangana left the Albion midfielder down on the grass.

Swift took full advantage of referee James Bell's decision to award a spot-kick as his low right-foot effort from 12 yards found the bottom left corner.

Albion remain fifth, where they have been rooted for the last four months, while Millwall, who have lost just once in six games since Neil Harris returned as manager, stay 16th.

Millwall had chances to go further ahead, notably when Palmer saved from Michael Obafemi, before Watmore fired over early in the second half.

But Albion were more of a threat after the break following the interval introduction of Tom Fellows for Andi Weimann.

All of Duncan Watmore's three goals this season have come at The Den
All of Duncan Watmore's three goals this season have come at The Den

And the hosts were made to pay when Diangana won Albion that equalising Swift penalty - his eighth goal of the season - but only his second since October.

The Baggies were almost ahead moments later when Alex Mowatt was picked out on the edge of the box by Fellows but his strike did not trouble Millwall keeper Matija Sarkic.

There was no grandstand finish from the visitors to round off a heated encounter as Albion extended their unfortunate record of not having won on Good Friday to 21 games - going all the way back to 1930.

Who's next?

Both sides are back in action on Easter Monday, when Albion host Watford and Millwall go to almost-relegated bottom club Rotherham United.

Millwall manager Neil Harris:

"What a good Millwall performance for so much of that game, especially in the first half. We had them rattled, and they're a really good side with really good players.

"We should have been 3-0 up. We should have been out of sight by half-time. We have made a really good side look ordinary.

"But 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 and the lads have come in saying it should have been out of sight and that Matija Sarkic's not had a save to make all game."

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan:

"Millwall are a competitive team. 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.

"This was a tough game. Two teams with two different styles. We were not brilliant and we didn't create enough chances.

"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."

Line-ups

Millwall

Formation 4-4-2

  • 20Sarkic
  • 18Leonard
  • 6Tanganga
  • 5Cooper
  • 15BryanBooked at 5minsSubstituted forMcNamaraat 81'minutes
  • 39HoneymanSubstituted forLongmanat 76'minutes
  • 8MitchellSubstituted forDe Norreat 89'minutes
  • 23Saville
  • 19WatmoreSubstituted forNorton-Cuffyat 89'minutes
  • 21Obafemi
  • 10Flemming

Substitutes

  • 2McNamara
  • 3M Wallace
  • 4Hutchinson
  • 11Longman
  • 12Mayor
  • 17Norton-Cuffy
  • 24De Norre
  • 25Esse
  • 33Bialkowski

West Brom

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 24Palmer
  • 2Furlong
  • 5BartleyBooked at 17mins
  • 4KipréBooked at 60minsSubstituted forAjayiat 73'minutes
  • 3Townsend
  • 35Yokuslu
  • 27Mowatt
  • 11DianganaSubstituted forPhillipsat 81'minutes
  • 7J WallaceSubstituted forThomas-Asanteat 63'minutes
  • 23JohnstonSubstituted forSwiftat 63'minutes
  • 17WeimannSubstituted forFellowsat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Ajayi
  • 10Phillips
  • 14Chalobah
  • 19Swift
  • 20Reach
  • 21Thomas-Asante
  • 22M'Vila
  • 31Fellows
  • 33Griffiths
Referee:
James Bell
Attendance:
17,856

Match Stats

Home TeamMillwallAway TeamWest Brom
Possession
Home32%
Away68%
Shots
Home9
Away6
Shots on Target
Home2
Away2
Corners
Home6
Away4
Fouls
Home9
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Millwall 1, West Bromwich Albion 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Millwall 1, West Bromwich Albion 1.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion).

  4. Post update

    Ryan Leonard (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Darnell Furlong (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Ryan Longman (Millwall).

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Millwall. Brooke Norton-Cuffy replaces Duncan Watmore.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Millwall. Casper De Norre replaces Billy Mitchell.

  9. Post update

    Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Dan McNamara.

  10. Post update

    Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Matt Phillips.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Alex Mowatt (West Bromwich Albion).

  12. Post update

    Michael Obafemi (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Matt Phillips replaces Grady Diangana.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Millwall. Dan McNamara replaces Joe Bryan because of an injury.

  15. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  16. Post update

    Delay in match because of an injury Joe Bryan (Millwall).

  17. Post update

    Offside, Millwall. Michael Obafemi is caught offside.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Millwall. Ryan Longman replaces George Honeyman.

  19. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Grady Diangana (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Okay Yokuslu.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Semi Ajayi replaces Cédric Kipré because of an injury.

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As It Stood

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2Leeds39258672304283
3Leicester38264874344082
4Southampton37228774482674
5West Brom3919101060372367
6Norwich391971371551664
7Coventry3816121062441860
8Preston38178135254-259
9Hull381610125348558
10Middlesbrough39167165453155
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12Sunderland39156185045551
13Bristol City39148174345-250
14Watford391213145553249
15Swansea391211164959-1047
16Millwall391111173751-1444
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18QPR391110183851-1343
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20Plymouth391011185564-941
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22Huddersfield39815164364-2139
23Sheff Wed39116223162-3139
24Rotherham39311253080-5020
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