Millwall 1-1 Sunderland: FLW report as Jack Clarke denies Joe Edwards his first home win | OneFootball

Highlights

Sunderland talisman Jack Clarke denied Joe Edwards his first home win as Millwall boss in a 1-1 draw on a freezing afternoon at The Den.

Kevin Nisbet's goal just before the break looked destined to provide Edwards with his first victory at The Den but Clarke won and scored a penalty 12 minutes from time to ensure the points were shared.

The Black Cats top scorer is now in double figures for the season but his goal is likely to do little to ease the pressure on Tony Mowbray as the same issues - plenty of possession but a lack of end product - plagued the visitors.

The point doesn't help either hugely in terms of league position - with Millwall five points above the drop in 19th and Sunderland three back from the top six in ninth.

Millwall 1-1 Sunderland

Given the plunging temperatures in South London, it's no surprise that the contest took a little while to warm up. Sunderland controlled the opening exchanges - to be expected given they've had nearly 15 months working under Mowbray compared to just a matter of weeks for Millwall and Edwards - but bar two unconvincing Dan Neil efforts from the edge of the box, they had little to show for it.

Possession without end product has been an all too familiar problem for them in recent weeks and is why, after back-to-back defeats to bottom half sides Plymouth Argyle and Huddersfield Town, there is growing pressure on the Black Cats boss.

Mowbray was able to breathe a sigh of relief midway through the first half when referee James Linington only showed Mason Burstow a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Ryan Leonard. The Chelsea loanee, and former Charlton Athletic player, was chasing a loose ball and was perhaps a little lucky not to see red.

Millwall grew into proceedings in the final 10 minutes of the half and struck just before the break. Arsenal loanee Brooke Norton-Cuffy had been their brightest attacking spark and he was the creator, whipping a cross in from the right flank for Nisbet to calmly fire into the bottom corner at the first attempt.

Pressure from the hosts had been building. Dan Ballard's important invention had denied Zian Flemming a chance on the break while Saville's tame effort from the resulting corner had forced Anthony Patterson into his first save.

Mowbray will no doubt have had some stern words for his players at the break and there was certainly more purpose to their attacking after the restart, with Pierre Ekwah sending a long-range attempt veering wide in the opening minutes of the second half.

They found themselves facing a Millwall side that looked far more assured with a 1-0 lead behind them, yet still willing to pile numbers forward when the opportunity arose, and it was not long before the visitors turned to the bench for some reinforcements just before the hour - with the experienced Patrick Roberts, Alex Pritchard, and Bradley Dack replacing their fresh-faced counterparts.

It was the hosts that went close just moments after the changes, however, as they cut through Sunderland with ease before Flemming got the ball caught under his feet.

The introduction of three tried and tested Championship playmakers did make the Black Cats look more dangerous but all too often they were guilty of overplaying - perhaps a symptom of not having an out-and-out number nine on the pitch.

Dack was the one tasked with leading the line and he could only turn a low cross around the outside of the post after Clarke's electric run from the left flank, which left Sunderland still trailing with 25 minutes to go.

Minutes later, Tom Bradshaw was inches away from proving just what a real striker could do as he met fellow substitute Ryan Longman's cross with a glancing volley, which forced a fingertip save out of Patterson.

With a little less than 20 minutes left, Dan Ballard missed a golden chance for Sunderland. Trai Hume's low cross made it to the centre-back through traffic but he ballooned his shot over the target from eight yards out.

But Clarke - the Black Cats' top scorer this term - would spare at least some of his teammate's blushes not long after by winning and converting a penalty to put the visitors level in the 78th minute. Leonard had kept him quiet for much of the game but was drawn into a silly sliding challenge as the winger burst past him in the box and then fired his spot-kick under the diving Bialkowski to ignite the travelling fans.

Mowbray's side were now going for the kill but that opened the door for their hosts. With eight minutes to go, Duncan Watmore played through Bradshaw, who was denied by the legs of the outrushing Patterson. The offside flag would deny Bradshaw again moments later as he seized on a rebound to find the net - only for the assistant to cut short celebrations at The Den.

That proved to be the final opportunity leaving both managers without the victory that they so crave. One win in five games now for Sunderland and one in four at Millwall for Edwards.

Millwall player ratings

Bart Bialkowski - 6

Ryan Leonard - 5

Wes Harding - 6

Jake Cooper - 6

Murray Wallace - 6

Brooke Norton-Cuffy - 8

Billy Mitchell - 6

George Saville - 6

George Honeyman - 5 (Ryan Longman (63) - 6)

Zian Flemming - 6 (Duncan Watmore (73) - 6)

Kevin Nisbet - 7 (Tom Bradshaw (63) - 6)

Unused subs: Matija Sarkic, Danny McNamara, Shaun Hutchinson, Allan Campbell, Aidomo Emakhu, Romain Esse

Sunderland player ratings

Anthony Patterson - 7

Trai Hume - 7

Luke O'Nien - 6

Dan Ballard - 6

Niall Huggins - 4

Dan Neil - 6 (Eliezer Mayenda (73) - 5)

Pierre Ekwah - 6

Abdoullah Ba - 4 (Patrick Roberts (56) - 6)

Adil Aouchiche - 5 (Alex Pritchard (56) - 6)

Jack Clarke - 7

Mason Burstow - 5 (Bradley Dack (56) - 5)

Unused subs: Nathan Bishop, Jobe Bellingham, Luis Semedo, Ellis Taylor, Nectarios Traintis,

Joe Edwards post-match reaction

"I wouldn't say hard done by, probably a bit frustrated," said Edwards after the game. "Getting the first goal has been a big thing I've noted in the games we've had so far. When we've scored first, in obviously my first game at Sheffield Wednesday, the confidence grew and visa versa in the games since.

"I thought Sunderland started the game well but then we grew and once we got the first goal, I thought there was a noticeable change in the team. We looked confident, the fans really supported well, and it felt like were building some momentum.

"They pretty much dominated possession throughout the game but we always posed a threat and were confidence in our defending."

He concluded: "When you lead a game for so long and you don't win it feels disappointing but I think you have respect that they had a lot of control in the game. In the second half they mounted a lot of pressure as an away team, so for me it's just areas where we can improve. I thought we did so well today without the ball, we posed a threat on the break and in transition but I think we've just got to keep bridging the gap where we look after the ball a bit better so we don't have to play at our absolute max like that just to take a point at home."

Tony Mowbray post-match reaction

"I thought we dominated the game from start to finish apart from the last 10 minutes after we'd scored," said the Sunderland boss post match. "You'd expect us to be like the alamo and give it a go but it was the other way really.

"We don't look like we're going to score a goal and yet we can control a game. I think they had isolated breakaways, I think that's what they can do, they're ok. I think we dominated for long spells without looking like we were going to score."

Mowbray made it clear why he felt his side were struggling in front of goal.

He said: "We don't look like we're going to score a goal. Why is that? I think that's because we've got young attacking players, inexperienced attacking players, who are not really ready to play for our team and yet we have to play them, we are playing them.

"We are not suffering as a result but we are trying to develop and get them up to speed to be able to be a striker in the Championship."