MILLWALL are aiming to match their best unbeaten run in the league this season when they host Sheffield Wednesday at The Den this Saturday.
The Lions haven’t lost in four games and have only conceded once as they look like they have recovered their resilience.
Now they just need to find that spark in attack.
Kenneth Zohore is getting closer as he builds towards peak match fitness, and his new partnership with Jed Wallace is promising.
The front duo, however, would have been disappointed they didn’t take gilt-edged chances against Norwich on Tuesday.
George Evans should be available to make his debut, but the match is likely to come too soon for midfielder Billy Mitchell.
Millwall are 10 points off the play-offs but have hinted recently they have enough to go on another run in the second half of the season, as they did in 2019-20 and 2017-18 when they went from the bottom half to sixth with two games left. Neil Harris’ side were 12 points off sixth after the same number of games in January 2018.
They have come through a tough set of fixtures and, on paper at least, February looks like it could offer a big opportunity, with games against the likes of Birmingham, Wycombe, Luton and Derby.
But it won’t be easy against a recently resurgent Wednesday side that have won four of their five games under caretaker boss Neil Thompson, who took over from the sacked Tony Pulis.
Their most impressive result in that period was their 2-1 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday, which led to the sacking of Cherries boss Jason Tindall.
The Owls were seven points adrift of safety when they lost 2-0 to Nottingham Forest on December 15, but have narrowed that gap to two points ahead of their trip to The Den.
They have a striker in form in Callum Paterson, who has scored four goals in his last seven games.
Three of the last four games between the sides have finished 0-0, with Millwall winning the other 1-0 at The Den in August 2019.
“It’s always a tough game down there,” Thompson said in his pre-match press conference. “They’re tough and uncompromising, a tough nut to crack as Norwich found last week.
“I personally am zeroing in on ourselves. That’s all we can affect. Other teams will start looking over their shoulders, we have to try to drag people into it by getting results. We’re still a long way from where we need to be.”
Thompson, 57, was asked about potentially getting the job full-time.
He said: “At the end of the day it’s not my decision, it’s the hierarchy of the club. We have to concentrate on what we’re doing. Whether the clarity is sooner or later, it’s not my decision.
“I’ve been asked to do the role, and we’re doing pretty well at the minute.”
Possible Millwall starting XI: 5-3-2: Bialkowski; McNamara, Hutchinson, Evans, Cooper, Malone; Leonard, Woods, Kieftenbeld; J Wallace, Zohore.
Match odds: Millwall 5/6 Draw 23/10 Wednesday 7/2
Last meeting: Championship (November 7, 2020): Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Millwall