Brentford 0 Millwall 0 – A 17th clean sheet and 17th draw for the Lions

Millwall’s first trip to the Brentford Community Stadium ended in a stalemate. It was the South London club’s 17th draw of the season and 17th clean sheet of the season.

The Lions recorded 16 shutouts in the 2019-20 campaign and still have four Championship matches to go to try and add to their tally.

The draw does Brentford no favours in their quest for promotion.

Millwall had the first chance of the match, Scott Malone volleyed over from close range after being found at the back post by Danny McNamara.

The Lions’ high press caused Brentford problems but it was the hosts pressing game that nearly ended in a goal. George Evans lost the ball in the middle of the park to Vitaly Janelt. He played through Marcus Forss, who looked set to give Ivan Toney a tap in, but Millwall centre-back Murray Wallace made a crucial block to keep the scores level.

Gary Rowett’s side were creating the better of the chances and went close again, Jed Wallace fizzed a diagonal ball into the box and Jake Cooper’s knockdown once again found Malone, who could only hit his shot straight at David Raya.

The hosts started the second half the stronger of the two teams. Forss beat Evans for pace to get into the box but blazed his shot into the side netting. Bartosz Bialkowski was called into action for the first time on 66 minutes when Ethan Pinnock’s weak header was comfortably held by the Lions stopper. Fifteen minutes later, Bialkowski was called into action again. Murray Wallace’s soft header back, meant  Toney was there to pounce but Bialkowski bravely smothered at the striker’s feet.

Millwall nearly won it late on. In the third minute of injury time, McNamara whipped a low ball which just evaded the incoming Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.

The Lions are ninth in the Championship.