Millwall vs Norwich City. Sky Bet Championship.
The Den.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Millwall and Norwich City at The Den as the Gary Rowett's Lions and the league-leading Canaries played out a goalless draw on Tuesday night.
Tuesday 2 February 2021 21:52, UK
Jed Wallace missed an open goal with the last kick of the game to allow Championship leaders Norwich to escape with a point in a goalless draw against an impressive Millwall.
Daniel Farke's visitors showed signs of their fluent best, but Millwall, now unbeaten in their last four league games, should have won it at the death when Wallace shot wide with Tim Krul stranded off his line.
Gary Rowett's team looked dangerous during the opening period as Ben Thompson, Kenneth Zohore and Wallace all went close.
Norwich grew gradually into the contest after the break but could not break down a resilient Lions defence and were almost undone at the death.
Farke brought in Polish winger Przemyslaw Placheta for the suspended Emi Buendia, while Rowett, whose low-scoring Lions had failed to net twice in a league game since mid-December, persisted with an attacking trio of Wallace, Zohore and Thompson.
A minute's applause was held in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore before kick-off and Norwich dominated early possession against a Millwall side set up to press the league leaders high.
But it was Rowett's hosts who created the game's first opening when Thompson shot straight at Krul with under 10 minutes played.
Placheta then wastefully drilled a 25-yard shot wide before Zohore's volley was comfortably saved at his near post by Krul.
Millwall were making life difficult for Norwich and after Todd Cantwell lost possession it took a last-ditch block from Grant Hanley to thwart Wallace's shot.
Placheta forced a save from Bartosz Bialkowski after cutting in from the right before Scott Malone drew Krul into action again after excellent work from the lively Zohore.
Millwall looked dangerous but Norwich continued to threaten, with good work from Hanley denying Zohore before Teemu Pukki saw his shot saved by Bialkowski to cap an entertaining first half.
A fiery second period ensued but Norwich began to show signs of their usual attacking flair.
Neat work down the right forced a corner before another flowing passage of play between Pukki and Cantwell ended with Mario Vrancic scuffing his shot wide.
Millwall's physicality was making life difficult for the visitors, but Norwich went close once again when Oliver Skipp saw his shot blocked after good work from Max Aarons.
It was Rowett's Lions who created the game's brightest chance on the hour mark, however, when Zohore was unable to keep his header down from close range.
Norwich continued to look threatening in possession and Pukki, chasing his 12th goal of the Championship season, was frustrated as he had two shots blocked by a stubborn Millwall defence.
Millwall battled admirably and should have taken the lead after 77 minutes but, when the ball dropped for Malone inside the Norwich area, the midfielder fired his shot wide.
The hosts dominated the closing stages and should have snatched victory only for Wallace to skew his last-gasp shot wide.
Millwall's Gary Rowett: "I thought it was an excellent performance, and as well as we've played for a while. We were playing against such a difficult side in Norwich, who are really technical and move the ball around so well. We certainly created some good moments in the first half, maybe we should have taken them.
"Second half, I thought we were brilliant. I worried whether our energy could be maintained and we really stepped on the gas and looked stronger than Norwich, physically. We kept putting it into good areas and kept getting some moments and good chances."
Norwich's Daniel Farke: "No, [the goal drought] is not a concern. We are sitting top of the league. The last two league games we found it hard to find the net, but they were difficult games. I got the feeling we created even more situations in the final third in comparison to the Middlesbrough game, but we didn't show enough quality to finish the situations and in our decision-making.
"This is quite normal - this is the Championship and 46 games. Always during these 46 games you have a period when you find it a little bit hard to convert your chances or to be ruthless enough. The only thing we were lacking was to be really ruthless in the final third. We had some mistakes in our decision-making. We should have been a bit more greedy to use them. We speak about this - we have to be a bit more committed in the decision-making and the situations where it counts to be more pro-active in the box. In this period, you just have to keep going."
