Barnsley drew 1-1 at Millwall in the final game before Valerien Ismael takes over as head coach.
Alex Mowatt's sensational long-range goal put the visitors in front after a very dull first 44 minutes but there was still time for the hosts to level in first half injury-time. The visitors were well on top in the second half but goalkeeper Jack Walton produced an outstanding performance with three point blank saves.
The Reds have now not won any of their first seven games of a league season for the first time since 1991. The only longer wait was 100 years ago in 1920/21 campaign.
Valerien Ismael, the new head coach, was watching from the stand after flying into the UK this morning. He will take his first training session tomorrow in preparation for Tuesday's home match with Queens Park Rangers. Millwall manager Gary Rowett was not at the game after experiencing coronavirus symptoms and isolating.
Caretaker Adam Murray, in charge of the team for the last time, put Michael Sollbauer and Matty James in the team for Clarke Oduor and Romal Palmer. But both Jordan Williams and Cauley Woodrow pulled out during the warm-up so Oduor and Conor Chaplin came into the side.
Very little happened in the first quarter of the game, but the Reds were marginally the better side with James taking four corners but all of them were cleared while his free-kick led to a Callum Brittain shot being blocked. Chaplin also scuffed a shot wide from 20 yards after a Mowatt free-kick was cleared. Ryan Leonard also shot well wide from 25 yards for the hosts.
The game came to life when Mowatt unleashed a spectacular 25-yard strike which swerved past the goalkeeper into the net for his first goal of the season.
But the lead lasted less than a minute as a right-wing corner was headed in at the back post by Jake Cooper from five yards out.
Millwall dominated the second half. A mishit free-kick by Jed Wallace on the left wing had to be tipped over the top right corner by Walton. He made a far better save soon after, brilliantly diving to his right to make a point blank stop from Mason Bennett who met a low right-wing Wallace cross six yards out.
Scott Malone then headed against the bar from about eight yards out after meeting a left-wing cross by Bennett.
Barnsley substitute Herbie Kane forced Bartosz Bialkowski into a save from a 30-yard free-kick which looked as though it was going wide of the top left corner.
Walton made another astonishing point blank save in the 87th minute, this time from Ryan Leonard who looked likely to poke in after meeting a Malone cross just a few yards out on the left of the box. Walton then produced more heroics to stick out a strong right hand and somehow divert over a close-range header by Zohore from a right-wing Wallace cross in the 90th minute.
Millwall (3-5-1-1): Bialkowski; Hutchinson, Cooper, Pearce; Romeo, Leonard, Williams (Woods 76mins), Malone; Mahoney (Zohore 67) Wallace, Bennett (Thompson 83). Unused: Fielding, M Wallace, Bradshaw, Smith. Goals: Cooper 45+1.
Barnsley (3-5-2): Walton, mark out of ten: 9; Sollbauer 6, Helik 5, Andersen 7; Brittain 6, Mowatt 8 (Palmer 74mins), James 7 (Thomas 67), Simoes 5 (Kane 59), Oduor 6; Frieser 5, Chaplin 5. Unused: Collins, Schmidt. Yellow cards: Helik, Brittain. Goals: Mowatt 45.
Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).
Goals: Cooper 45+1. AS IT HAPPENED
-
-
3:02pm
Both teams playing wing-backs, with Millwall changing from usual 4-4-2 to match Barnsley
-
3:04pm
4 First corner of the game is Barnsley's. Matty James takes from the right but it is headed out
-
3:06pm
A couple of poor kicks so far from Jack Walton, one half charged down and one straight out for throw. His confidence must have been slightly knocked by the error at Stoke on Wednesday
-
3:08pm
Nothing major to report as we approach the ten minute mark. Both sides have had spells of possession without doing anything with it
-
3:11pm
11 Dominik Frieser wins a free-kick in a central position about 35 yards from Millwall's goal. James takes, it is only half-cleared by a header and the ball rolls to Brittain whose shot is blocked from ten yards out for a corner
-
3:11pm
12 The referee sees a foul from the corner and gives a free-kick to Millwall
-
3:16pm
Michal Helik gets the first booking of the day for tripping ex-Red Mahoney on the right touchline
-
3:18pm
This is probably Millwall's best spell so far. They have had a lot of the ball in the last few minutes but are yet to create a chance
-
3:19pm
19 Barnsley win their third corner of the game as Conor Chaplin has a cross cut out from the left of the box
-
3:19pm
20 Corner by James, played low to Mowatt in the box but he is tackled and it's another corner
-
3:20pm
Mowatt is now down needed and will need treatment
-
3:22pm
Mowatt now gets up and jogs over to the touchline to get more treatment
-
3:22pm
23 James corner headed up by Helik but headed clear
-
3:22pm
-
3:26pm
25 minutes gone and still no chances for either side. The hosts are coming back into the match though with more possession in the Reds' half
-
3:32pm
32 Mowatt's free-kick on the left is headed by a defender then Chaplin scuffs a 20-yard shot well wide
-
3:34pm
Going into the final ten minutes of the first half. Hardly anything of note has happened so far. Barnsley are slightly the better side but have not created any real chances
-
3:35pm
35 Ryan Leonard has Millwall's first shot but it's well wide from about 25 yards
-
3:37pm
Barnsley getting a bit frustrated with each other now. Helik passes back to his goalkeeper and several team-mates shout at him for not playing the ball forward
-
3:38pm
38 Walton takes a risk by coming out of area on the left wing and making a slide tackle but he gets it right and the ball goes out for a throw
-
3:41pm
Just three minutes remain in what has been a very uneventful half of football
-
3:44pm
Alex Mowatt nets a sensational 25-yard strike
-
3:46pm
Jake Cooper levels with a header from a corner
-
4:03pm
-
4:06pm
Millwall have had most of the ball in the opening four minutes of the half but are yet to do anything with it
-
4:09pm
Callum Brittain slides in and sends a home player flying. He is booked. It made a very loud sound but there were no real appeals for a red card
-
4:10pm
52 Millwall's right-wing free kick is tipped out of the top right corner by Walton for a corner
-
4:11pm
52 Corner is then cleared to Wallace who blasts well over from 25 yards
-
4:13pm
55 Chaplin wins a free-kick on the left wing . It goes over everyone then Frieser's follow up cross is easily caught
-
4:15pm
57 Outstanding save by Walton. Wallace's cross from the right is met by Mason Bennett on the volley but Walton dives to his left to make a superb reaction save
-
4:16pm
Herbie Kane is on for Simoes
-
4:17pm
Simoes had a quiet day today as have strikers Chaplin and Frieser so far
-
4:18pm
An hour gone now. Still a pretty even game but Millwall have been slightly the better side after the break
-
4:19pm
61 Mahoney tales a corner from the right and Walton punches away
-
4:23pm
65 For the second time today, Ryan Leonard fires well wide with a low long-range shot
-
4:24pm
Millwall. bring Kenneth Zohore on for Mahoney
-
4:24pm
Luke Thomas comes on for his 50th Barnsley game, with Matty James going off
-
4:26pm
Not a bad second debut for James, after such a long time out. He looked a strong presence in the midfield and mostly kept the likes of Jed Wallace quiet
-
4:27pm
69 Millwall go close again. Zohore does well to spin a man and get the ball to Mason Bennett whose cross from the left is headed onto the bar by Scott Malone. Marlon Romeo's follow up is blocked
-
4:30pm
72 Millwall have two corners cleared. They have dominated this second half
-
4:31pm
Barnsley's last change sees Romal Palmer come on for Alex Mowatt
-
4:35pm
So there will be no Schmidt winner like last year as he is still on the bench and all the Reds changes have been made
-
4:35pm
We're into the final 15 minutes. Millwall have been on top for all of this half but the Reds have had a bit more of the ball in the last few minutes
-
4:37pm
79 Herbie Kane's 30-yard free-kick is turned wide by Bialkowski. But it may have been going wide anyway
-
4:37pm
80 Kane's corner is now headed away
-
4:40pm
It's a more even match now after a spell of Millwall dominance. Will we see a winner?
-
4:40pm
82 The ball is lofted into the Reds box from the right and is met at the back post by Malone but it's blasted over
-
4:41pm
Ben Thompson comes on for Millwall
-
4:45pm
87 Another incredible save by Jack Walton from point blank range, this time denying Ryan Leonard who looks sure to score
-
4:48pm
90 A third magnificent save by Walton. He sticks out a right hand to push Zohore's header over the ball from a Wallace cross on the right
-
4:49pm
Jack Walton has been magnificent, with three point blank saves
-
4:51pm
FULL-TIME: Millwall 1, Barnsley 1.
