Nine-man West Brom moved a point clear at the top of the First Division with a
battling display at play-off chasing Millwall.
Midfielder Jason Koumas was sent off just before half-time by referee Scott
Mathieson for his second foul on player-manager Dennis Wise.
And Thomas Gaardsoe received his marching orders in stoppage time for a
professional foul on Danny Dichio on the edge of the box, but the home side
wasted the resulting free-kick.
Dichio had put the Lions in front against his former club in the 19th minute.
But Andy Johnson earned the Baggies a point 10 minutes after the break
following an inspired substitution by Baggies' boss Gary Megson.
Megson brought on Lloyd Dyer and Scott Dobie at half-time for James O'Connor
and Delroy Facey as the visitors opted for a 4-3-2 formation.
And the move paid dividends in the 55th minute as Dyer's cross was side-footed
goalwards by Dobie, but Johnson provided the finishing touch to level the
scores.
Dichio, one of four changes to the line-up which had surrendered so meekly at
Coventry on Saturday, broke the deadlock with his first goal in 12 games in the
19th minute.
Wise, back in the starting XI after suffering a knee injury last week, floated
in a free-kick from the left and Dichio headed powerfully past goalkeeper
Russell Hoult.
West Brom, seeking their seventh successive win, had two chances to level
before the break, but Andy Marshall tipped over Facey's close-range volley.
And Marshall again did brilliantly to keep out a header from Darren Moore.
Two minutes after Johnson struck the equaliser, the 10-man Baggies nearly took
a shock lead as Dyer's 25-yard piledriver struck the woodwork.
The hosts threatened to regain the lead just past the hour as Andy Roberts
forced Hoult into making a smart save from distance, while moments later Dichio
fired over the bar.
Hoult had to be on his toes 13 minutes from time as he did well to keep out a
shot from Peter Sweeney, on as a second-half sub for Robert Ryan.
Megson replaced striker Geoff Horsfield with Mark Kinsella to bolster his
midfield, with the Lions bringing on Neil Harris for Mark McCammon.
Wise fired a 30-yard effort wide as the Lions pressed for the winner before
Danish defender Gaardsoe was dismissed in the dying stages.
Teams
Millwall Marshall, Elliott, Lawrence, Ward, Ryan (Sweeney 64),
Wise, Cahill, Roberts, Livermore, McCammon (Harris 80), Dichio.
Subs Not Used: Gueret, Chadwick, Hearn.
Booked: Dichio, Livermore.
Goals: Dichio 19.
West Brom Hoult, Chambers, Moore, Gaardsoe, Koumas, Gregan,
Johnson, O'Connor (Dyer 45), Clement, Horsfield (Kinsella 79),
Facey (Dobie 45).
Subs Not Used: Murphy, Hughes.
Sent Off: Koumas (43), Gaardsoe (90).
Booked: Koumas, Kinsella.
Goals: Johnson 55.
Att: 13,304
Ref: S Mathieson (Cheshire).
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