Four takeaways from Millwall’s 0-0 draw with Boro – Bart could surpass clean sheet best and Malone wins battle against Jones

Millwall extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with a 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Here are Richard Cawley’s takeaways.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP KEEPS ON DELIVERING

Every season the promotion chase in English football’s second tier seems to be full of drama and the 2021-22 installment doesn’t look set to disappoint in that respect.

Before QPR’s 2-1 win over Luton Town on Sunday, only four points separated the fourth-placed side and Millwall, who dropped to 11th after their stalemate at the weekend. And even now the gap between those positions is only five points.

If Millwall can do the business at home against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday night then they can move level on points with Sheffield United, who occupy that final play-off spot. It sums up the Championship that the Blades thrashed Boro 4-1 last week and then lost by the same scoreline at Coventry City on Saturday.

It also underlines what an achievement it is that the Lions have not been beaten since January 22.

BIALKOWSKI CHAINING TOGETHER THE SHUTOUTS

Millwall have kept four clean sheets in a row and that has moved Bartosz Bialkowski on to 12 shutouts for the season.

With 10 matches left to play, it at least opens up the possibility that the goalkeeper – who did not record one clean sheet in 28 Championship matches in his final season at Ipswich Town – can still surpass the total he managed last season (17) and also his first season with the SE16 outfit (16).

Although in saying that, Millwall might have to take more risks in the closing weeks to pick up wins and get into one of those prized play-off spots.

The Lions have been excellent of late defensively and you couldn’t say Bialkowski had anything outrageously difficult to do against Boro. He did save at his near post from Aaron Connolly in the second period but it was relatively routine stuff.

MALONE WINS HIS DUEL

Scott Malone was up against one of the league’s most exciting prospects – Lambeth-born Isaiah Jones – and definitely had the upper hand on the former Tooting & Mitcham youngster.

Jones was a touch fortunate to only see yellow for shoving the Lions left wing-back after he attempted to lift the South Londoner back to his feet after he went down theatrically from a fair challenge by Mason Bennett. Malone was also cautioned by referee Robert Jones, who fortunately dialled down his desire to dish out bookings in the second half – at one stage it seemed inevitable we’d see a dismissal.

Jones had a match-high seven dribbles but crucially did not really get into areas to hurt the home team. His influence waned even more in the second half and was summed up by a series of stepovers that ended with him then taking the play out of play.

Malone had 61 touches – the second-highest in Millwall’s side – and used his experience to nullify a key outlet for Chris Wilder’s team.

A CLASH OF THE FORM TEAMS

Wednesday night sees the two best-performing Championship sides going head to head.

Huddersfield head coach Carlos Corberan won the divisional manager of the month award for February with his Lions counterpart Gary Rowett also nominated.

Both teams have taken 14 points from their last six matches, one more then league leaders Fulham.

The Terriers have taken 28 points on the road this season – only Fulham (37) and Bournemouth (31) have managed more.

When you factor in that only West Brom (two) have lost fewer home matches than Millwall (three – along with five other clubs) then it looks set to be a quality match up.