Millwall Focused On Points, Not Play-off Rivals After West Brom Drawnewsline24

Millwall returned from The Hawthorns with a point and second place in the Championship, but Alex Neil stressed the focus stays on performance rather than rivals after a goalless draw with West Brom that felt like a missed chance in the promotion race.

The result left Millwall one point ahead of Ipswich Town, who still hold three games in hand, while Middlesbrough also remain close. Neil underlined that the priority is what Millwall can control, not how other Championship contenders or West Brom’s opponents perform across the run-in.

Neil made clear that Millwall’s approach in the Championship will not change despite surrendering ground to teams chasing automatic promotion. “We’re not relying on anybody [else]. Our aim is always to get as many points as possible,” Neil told Sky Sports. “I don’t focus on what other teams are going, I only focus on us.”

Neil highlighted the importance of avoiding defeat, even when victory proves out of reach against sides like West Brom in the Championship. “It’s another point on the board, we are focused on getting as many points on the board as we can, a game at a time. I always tell the players if you can’t win the game, don’t lose the game. We take the point, four games to go, we’ll try to win them all.”

Across an open contest, West Brom shaded the underlying numbers against Millwall, with the Championship clash reflecting a tight balance of chances despite the 0-0 score. West Brom recorded an expected goals figure of 1.44 from 16 shots, while Millwall produced 1.14 xG from 11 efforts, showing both sides created promising openings.

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Despite West Brom’s higher xG against Millwall in this Championship meeting, the hosts worked Anthony Patterson only once. That came on 82 minutes when Jayson Molumby’s close-range attempt was repelled by the goalkeeper, who spread body and arms well to block what looked a decisive late opportunity inside the box.

Earlier, Millwall carved out the clearer chances in the first half against West Brom in this Championship fixture. Josh Coburn volleyed narrowly wide, before Mihailo Ivanovic unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar. Soon after, Camiel Neghli drew a strong save from Max O’Leary as Millwall broke with speed and forced West Brom backwards.

West Brom improved after the interval against Millwall, with Daryl Dike and Molumby both shooting off target from promising positions as the Championship game opened up. The Baggies’ share of the points moved James Morrison’s team five points above the relegation zone, with four league matches remaining to protect their status.

The draw with Millwall continued West Brom’s Championship revival under Morrison. Since the start of March, West Brom are unbeaten in seven league games, with a record of two wins and five draws, matching the resilience shown by promotion-chasing Southampton and Ipswich across the same period.

Morrison praised West Brom’s effort across a demanding spell that included Millwall and two other Championship opponents in one week. “I’m really happy. Three games in a week, after an international break, we kept pushing to the end,” Morrison said. “We had some tired legs out there, but we just needed a ball to fall to us [in the right area].”

Reflecting on how West Brom adjusted against Millwall in this Championship contest, Morrison pointed to the tactical response. “In the first half they looked dangerous, they counter-attacked us too many times, but we sorted that out. I stand here pretty happy because we are fighting and pushing. There was a bit more quality in the final third too, which I was pleased about.”

Morrison plans to give the West Brom squad a rest day after facing Millwall, though Championship relegation matters stay on the manager’s mind. Asked about watching other teams battling near the bottom, Morrison said West Brom’s situation will colour every result: “I’ll watch with a bit of nerve.”