Millwall boss Harris felt his team executed gameplan “superbly” in stalemate at West Bromwich

Neil Harris felt Millwall executed his game plan perfectly as they left West Brom with a point and a clean sheet despite having just 21 per cent possession.

It’s the third season in a row in which the sides have played out a 0-0 draw at The Hawthorns.

“We were very respectful to West Brom’s strengths and the quality they’ve got in the team and on the bench,” said Harris.

“We knew they were going to control the football. We had a clear game plan everyone could see. We executed it superbly.

“West Brom dominated the ball – the stats show that – but it’s the areas in which they had the ball, they played where we wanted them to play.

“I picked two very good one-v-one defenders to deal with their players and we defended the ball in our box. I remember them having one chance, Josh Maja in the first half, that went wide and over. So a half chance. Other than that, we executed the game plan superbly.

“My keeper didn’t have a save to make in the second half and we had three or four really good chances.”

Femi Azeez, on his first league start, had Millwall’s best chance of the game. Macaulay Langstaff’s cross reached him at the back post but he was unable to get the touch needed to steer it into the net.

“I’m not quite sure what happened,” said Harris. “You saw Femi’s reaction. I don’t think he can quite believe that he’s missed the open goal.

“Mihalo came on in the second half and had two good headers. For me, Femi’s chance is the main one. I’m not going to bemoan my players for missing chances. The performance from the starting 11 was good and the subs had a great impact.”

Despite having all the possession the Baggies found it very hard to break down a resilient Millwall side.

Lukas Jensen was rarely troubled as the Lions defence blocked and intercepted everything that came into their box.

“Away from home – at a side we expect to be in the top three or four – I think it was a hugely respectful performance. But when we got our chance to impact the game we did, we came with a clear game plan after a disappointing result on Tuesday. We needed a reaction and a result on the back of that and we thought the best way was to go the way we did and if we play well we will create chances.

“For us to be successful as a football club, we have to be like that – that has to be us. It’s our blueprint and has been for decades now. We have to be really hard to beat and horrible to play against. We have to have opposition managers worrying about how they are going to break us down, worrying about set plays – for and against.

“Today the attitude of players to throw themselves in front of the ball was outstanding and that goes back to the desire to get a clean sheet for the team.”