West Brom go top despite being held by Millwall

West Brom moved top of the Sky Bet Championship but had to settle for a 1-1 draw against dogged Millwall at The Hawthorns.

Albion extended their unbeaten run to six games in the league but their four-match winning run ended after captain Kyle Bartley’s 49th-minute header was cancelled out by on-loan Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard’s header six minutes later.

A draw was a fair result with Albion winger Grady Diangana missing an early chance and striker Karlan Grant’s penalty saved by Bartosz Bialkowski in the first half, while Millwall pair Jed Wallace and Sheyi Ojo were denied by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The visitors spent much of the first half defending but actually created the first opening. Billy Mitchell unleashed a low effort that forced Johnstone into a diving save.

But Albion soon began to assert their authority with two chances falling to Diangana. The former West Ham winger did brilliantly to hold off Jake Cooper in a high-speed chase through the middle before dragging a low effort just wide of the far post.

Diangana’s next chance was much more difficult and he failed to keep a falling volley down from the edge of the box as the ball sailed high over Bialkowski’s crossbar after some head tennis in the penalty area following a long Darnell Furlong throw-in.