Millwall 1-1 Wednesday

Wednesday left the capital with a hard-earned point thanks to a 1-1 draw in a fiery clash against Millwall in the Championship.

Giles Coke gave in-form Wednesday the lead at The Den but DJ Campbell, a recent signing for Ian Holloway with the Lions, levelled for the hosts. Coke then saw red for an altercation with Shane Lowry, who was also dismissed, late on.

The result stretched Wednesday’s unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions and saw them complete their January fixtures without suffering defeat.

Wednesday boss Stuart Gray, taking charge of the league game for the first time as permanent boss, had to make do without striker Connor Wickham, who returned from his loan spell to Sunderland this week, while Joe Mattock was suspended. Chris Kirkland returned in goal and Jeremy Helan came in.

Both sides went into the game eager for maximum points to boost their survival chances but Wednesday will have left the happier of the two teams.

The Lions saw off Ipswich Town on home soil at the weekend and looked to take that winning momentum into the match with a fast-paced start that saw them carve out a number of good chances.

Owls stopper Chris Kirkland had to be alert, first denying Danny Shittu before producing impressive saves to thwart Steve Morison and then Lee Martin as the hosts came flying out of the traps.

Wednesday did well to keep the Lions out early on and they managed to stem the flow of the hosts’ attacks and produce some good chances of their own, largely thanks to the left foot of Helan. First, the former Manchester City man produced a fine run and cross that Atdhe Nuhiu could only head over before setting up Chris Maguire with another chance but the forward could only fire over the bar.

Gray introduced Caolan Lavery for Glenn Loovens at half-time but it was the hosts again who made the brighter start to the half, this time Morison seeing his powerful header brilliantly saved by an on-song Kirkland to keep the score goalless.

It was another high-paced start but Wednesday didn’t take as long to settle into their stride in the second half and almost took the lead three minutes after the restart. Former Owls stopper Stephen Bywater almost gifted the visitors the opener when he spilled a Lavery cross but he managed to scramble the ball away at the last minute.

Neither side were managing to add the final touch in front of goal, something highlighted when Morison squared for Liam Feeney just after the hour mark but he fired wide and Wednesday were let off the hook.

One man did, however, and that man was Coke. Maguire, scorer of the winner at the same venue last season, put the Owls midfielder through on goal and he rounded Bywater before slotting into the back of the net with 20 minutes left.

It almost got better for the visitors just minutes later but Miguel Llera saw his header come crashing back off the crossbar from a Maguire cross.

But instead of taking a 2-0 lead, the Owls found themselves back on level terms when Campbell struck. Liam Trotter’s header came back off the woodwork but the loanee pounced to give the Lions a share of the spoils.

There was still drama when Coke and Lowry both saw red for an altercation that added eight minutes of time to the clock after the 90 minutes, but neither side could find a winner.

Millwall: Bywater, Shittu, Trotter, Morison, Bailey (Williams 60), Woolford, Lowry, Martin (Feeney 66), Fredericks, Keogh (Campbell 56), Malone.

Wednesday: Kirkland, Palmer, Loovens (Lavery 46), Llera, Onyewu, Helan, McPhail (Coke 59), Semedo, Lee, Maguire, Nuhiu.