Millwall Held to Goalless Draw at West Brom as Coburn Misses Golden Opportunity

Millwall's Josh Coburn will lament missing a gilt-edged chance in the first half as his team was forced to settle for a 0-0 draw against an impressive West Brom, who took a significant step towards ensuring their Championship survival. Coburn, fresh from being named Championship Player of the Month for March, disappointingly failed to convert a point-blank opportunity from a Thierno Ballo pass. The point earned moves Millwall into the top two in the promotion chase, but they failed to capitalize fully on playing before their closest rivals, Ipswich and Middlesbrough, who have fixtures on Saturday and are just a point behind. The draw also keeps alive Coventry's hopes of securing Premier League promotion if they can beat Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and Middlesbrough fail to win. West Brom, now unbeaten in seven games, have opened up a five-point gap above the relegation zone and will feel they could have won the match. Millwall dominated the first half, with Mihailo Ivanovic also hitting the bar with a curled effort from distance. However, the second half belonged to West Brom, who had their best chance in the 82nd minute when Nathan Patterson denied Jayson Molumby from close range. Daniel Imray's crucial intervention at the back post to block Tom Watson ensured West Brom kept a clean sheet. As the season enters its final stretch, attention turns to upcoming fixtures, including Coventry vs. Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich vs. Norwich, both live on Sky, and Middlesbrough's match against Portsmouth. Post-game, West Brom's James Morrison expressed happiness with the team's resilience and push for survival, acknowledging the fatigue but pleased with the quality shown in the final third. Millwall's manager, Alex Neil, viewed the point as positive, highlighting that his team had the best chances, including Coburn's miss, and noting the team's fatigue in the second half after making several changes to freshen up the lineup. Neil emphasized the focus on accumulating points and not relying on other teams' results, aiming to win the remaining four games.