Millwall 1 Barnsley 1 – Cooper on target as Championship clash ends all square

BY DANIEL MARSH

Millwall were forced to settle for a point after being held to a 1-1 draw by Barnsley.

Both sides found the net as the first-half drew to a close. A towering Jake Cooper header cancelled out an impressive Alex Mowatt opener as the points were shared in SE16.

Neither side overly impressed in a scrappy opening, but Barnsley looked the more threatening and managed to craft a couple of half openings.

The Lions, in contrast, were struggling to get going at all. The majority of their play in the first 45 minutes was mainly done inside their own half, with their front three largely absent from the game as a result.

Without warning, the game exploded into life right on the stroke of the interval.

The visitors found their breakthrough in spectacular fashion through Mowatt. The Tykes skipper seemed to have an age to control the ball outside the area, before arrowing a superb strike off the underside of the bar and beyond Bart Bialkowski.

Millwall could have had few complaints had they gone in at the break behind. Fortunately for them, Connor Mahoney’s corner was guided home at the back post by Cooper to draw them level with the final kick of the half.

The Lions had their tails up after drawing level and started the second period stronger. Jed Wallace swung in an early ball with Mason Bennett doing well to nudge ahead of his man, only for Jack Walton to superbly push his effort on to the post.

Kenneth Zohore was introduced from the bench just after the hour and he almost had an immediate impact, as he linked nicely to set Bennett away on the left. Bennett’s floated cross was met by Scott Malone, who saw his looping header crash back off the crossbar.

Millwall continued to push for a winner but had Bialkowski to thank for keeping the scores level after a flying save to keep out a Herbie Kane effort from 25 yards.

The hosts came agonisingly close to finding a late winner, with Barnsley surviving a late scramble involving Zohore and Ben Thompson, before the excellent Walton denied Zohore again from close range to survive a late Lions onslaught.

PHOTO: KEITH GILLARD