Millwall 0 Watford 0 – Lions happy to collect point against automatic promotion chasers

Millwall collected their 12th draw of the Championship season – scrapping their way to a 0-0 draw against automatic-promotion chasing Watford.

The Lions seemed happy to settle for a share of the spoils in the closing stages of an entertaining contest.

Watford had the better of the first half although Millwall thought they had taken a lead in stoppage time. Jake Cooper planted a firm header home from a Jed Wallace free-kick but it was ruled out for offside.

Just moments earlier the centre-back had emphatically met a diagonal cross by Ryan Wood, with the ball coming back off the right upright.

Watford’s movement stretched the hosts before the break. Tom Cleverly’s deliveries caused discomfort and from one it led to Shaun Hutchinson’s attempts to clear squirting up on to Bart Bialkowski’s right-hand post, with debutant Maikel Kiftenbeld making a vital touch in the ensuing scramble.

Cooper also cleared off his own line – even though Bialkowski may have had it covered – while quick interplay by Andre Gray and Troy Deeney created a good opportunity for Ismaila Sarr, but he drove straight at the Lions stopper.

Millwall were able to get their own attacking game going better after the restart, even if that did not translate into testing Daniel Bachmann.

About the only moment that threatened to break the deadlock came in the 70th minute. Nathaniel Chalobah, fortunate not to receive a second yellow for a spiteful late challenge on Ryan Woods, struck a long-distance effort which Bialkowski could only parry up into the air. The Poland stopper then reacted quickly to push away Deeney’s follow-up overhead kick out for a corner.

PHOTOS: KEITH GILLARD