Millwall 1-1 Burnley: Clarets extend lead at top to 12 points despite draw against the Lions
Tom Bradshaw came off the bench to score his fourth goal in four days and earn play-off chasing Millwall a vital point against runaway leaders Burnley.
The striker, who scored a hat-trick against Sheffield United on Saturday, snapped up a rare Lions chance to equalise with five minutes to go.
Ashley Barnes, who scored at Luton at the weekend, seemed to have bagged Burnley's winner for the second game in succession when he fired home after Scott Twine's shot had been charged down by Jamie Shackleton on 51 minutes.
The draw still meant the Clarets have a 12-point lead over second-placed Sheffield United as they seek to bounce back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
They remain unbeaten in the league since 5 November, a run of 13 games, while Millwall preserved their proud record of only losing twice at The Den all season.
Burnley had control of the game for long periods, but George Long produced a vital save to deny Anass Zaroury, Twine fired a chance wide and a Barnes volley flashed past the post.
The hosts fought back and harried the slick Clarets into occasional mistakes, with Zian Flemming hitting their best chance of the opening 45 minutes straight at Burnley keeper Aro Muric.
After Barnes claimed the opener, Vitinho almost added a second when he scampered down the right and crossed, with Josh Brownhill's volley bouncing off the foot of the post.
Millwall, however, are nothing if not tenacious at home, and a triple substitution on 73 minutes paid off for manager Gary Rowett.
A home corner was half-cleared, but Flemming curved a dangerous ball back into the box which fell to Bradshaw and the in-form striker found the bottom corner for his 11th goal of the season.
Millwall manager Gary Rowett:
"I didn't rest him [Bradshaw]. Even I'm not stupid enough to rest a player that scored three goals in the previous game,"
"He was injured. His ankle was swollen black and blue. He had a tight hamstring, a tight glute.
"He said he thought he'd be about 80 per cent and at that point I said I'm not going to risk you. It's not worth it.
"I didn't really want to use him. But with the state of the game, we wanted to get something out of it. He took the goal really well. The keeper doesn't even have a chance to move."
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"We dug in when we had to and were really good at stopping the opposition from getting any kind of momentum. They're the home team, doing really well in the league and they were going to get something in the game.
"With a lot of players who needed a bit of rest and to get subbed, I can only be pleased with the performance. It makes our squad so much bigger to see these players come to a tough place and perform.
"We came here with a few illnesses, knocks and bruises. This team has shown that it will find a way and we've just got to do that in the next run of games. We're number 21 in English football and we've just got to get better."
Line-ups
Millwall
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Long
2McNamara15Cresswell5Cooper3M Wallace
16Shackleton23Saville
39Honeyman10Flemming19Watmore
21Voglsammer
- 1Long
- 2McNamara
- 15Cresswell
- 5Cooper
- 3M Wallace
- 16ShackletonSubstituted forLeonardat 72'minutes
- 23SavilleSubstituted forEsseat 72'minutes
- 39HoneymanSubstituted forMaloneat 88'minutes
- 10Flemming
- 19WatmoreSubstituted forBradshawat 73'minutesBooked at 77mins
- 21VoglsammerSubstituted forEmakhuat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Evans
- 9Bradshaw
- 11Malone
- 18Leonard
- 22Emakhu
- 33Bialkowski
- 50Esse
Burnley
Formation 4-2-3-1
49Muric
14Roberts18Ekdal28Al Dakhil29Maatsen
8Brownhill24Cullen
22da Silva11Twine19Zaroury
10Barnes
- 49Muric
- 14Roberts
- 18Ekdal
- 28Al DakhilBooked at 26mins
- 29MaatsenSubstituted forTaylorat 83'minutes
- 8Brownhill
- 24Cullen
- 22da SilvaSubstituted forTellaat 87'minutes
- 11TwineSubstituted forGudmundssonat 73'minutes
- 19ZarourySubstituted forCorkat 83'minutes
- 10Barnes
Substitutes
- 3Taylor
- 4Cork
- 7Gudmundsson
- 12Foster
- 15Peacock-Farrell
- 23Tella
- 45Obafemi
Referee:James Linington
Attendance:13,542
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Millwall 1, Burnley 1.
Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Burnley 1.
Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Jake Cooper.
Attempt missed. Nathan Tella (Burnley) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Josh Brownhill.
Attempt missed. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Millwall. Scott Malone replaces George Honeyman.
Substitution, Millwall. Aidomo Emakhu replaces Andreas Voglsammer.
Substitution, Burnley. Nathan Tella replaces Vitinho.
Attempt missed. Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Andreas Voglsammer with a cross.
Goal! Millwall 1, Burnley 1. Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Zian Flemming with a cross.
Attempt missed. Murray Wallace (Millwall) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by George Honeyman with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Charlie Taylor.
Substitution, Burnley. Charlie Taylor replaces Ian Maatsen.
Substitution, Burnley. Jack Cork replaces Anass Zaroury.
Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Vitinho.
Attempt blocked. Zian Flemming (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Romain Esse with a headed pass.
Tom Bradshaw (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Connor Roberts (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Bradshaw (Millwall).
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