Millwall 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Bruce hails Owls’ defence after another clean sheet

The home side failed to score for the third home league game in a row despite having a fairer share of the very few chances as Wednesday continued their run of not conceding under their new boss.

Neil Harris’ side made a bright start playing with plenty of ambition in the first 10 minutes and finding joy down the right wing where Mahlon Romeo and Jed Wallace combined well a number of times.

Romeo’s cross for Ben Marshall forced the excellent Michael Hector to clear off the line while another low ball in from Wallace almost produced an opportunity for Lee Gregory, before Marshall and Aiden O’Brien saw their follow-ups blocked.

But then the chances dried up for the home side, who are yet to find the net at home in the Championship in 2019, and the game became a scrappy midfield battle.

Wallace stung Keiren Westwood’s palms with a free-kick after half an hour, and Romeo tested him from range, but clear-cut chances were hard to come by against a Wednesday side who have become a well organised unit under Bruce.

The visitors offered next to nothing going forward, failing to force Jordan Archer into any meaningful action at all before the break.

The Millwall keeper was needed just two minutes after the interval however, beating away Lucas Joao’s powerful effort from the edge of the box.

And Archer might have been in trouble had Hector managed to hit the target from an Adam Reach cross, but the defender could only glance wide.

It was the home side who continued to have the better of the play. O’Brien was twice denied by Westwood, who first saved a near post flicked header and then stood tall to push away a venomous drive following good work from Gregory.

Substitute Steve Morison had a chance to win it for Millwall 10 minutes from time but fired wide when through on goal.

Minutes later the veteran striker’s knock-down found Marshall, only for his header to be hacked off the line by Jordan Thorniley.

At the other end, Steven Fletcher fired just wide with the last kick of the game, but neither side would have merited all three points.

The draw lifts Millwall five points clear of the relegation zone while Wednesday remain 16th in the Championship table.

Bruce said: “The lads at the back have been outstanding and that’s another clean sheet tonight.

“That’s eight out of 12 and that takes some doing. So we’re getting it right at one end and now we need things to click into gear at the other.

“We’ve had another few half chances tonight and we might have won it again right at the end.

“But I thought overall a draw was about right. At half time I asked the lads, did you enjoy that, and not one of them nodded their heads.

“So the second half was much brighter, we played with more energy, and as I say, we might have nicked a winner.

“But we will focus on the positives, it’s a point, it’s another clean sheet and we looked rock solid out there tonight at the back.

“So we have the platform in place and now we have to build on it.”