Millwall 2-1 West Brom - Report
Returning defender Kyle Bartley was shown a late red card as troubled Albion were condemned to a last-minute defeat at Millwall.
Albion - who prior to kick-off were reported to be in advanced talks with ex-Huddersfield manager Carlos Corberan - sunk to second-bottom of the Championship following consecutive for caretaker Richard Beale's side.
It was an afternoon in south east London that started so well for the much-changed visitors as Beale's six alterations to his starting XI appeared to make the difference, with John Swift converting 20 minutes on from pantomime villain Jed Wallace's cross.
Bartley, left out in the cold after his nightmare against Blues five weeks ago, made a surprising return and exceeded in a promising first-half display where his physicality shone through. The hosts struck a controversial equaliser as Callum Styles lifted in from a free-kick that should not have been given.
But he picked up two cautions in the space of 17 second-half minutes to be dismissed five minutes from time - by which point, with Millwall on top in the second half, the visitors would have happily taken a point home.
It wasn't to be, though, as Albion were sliced open by an extra man and the lively Tyler Burey struck a bobbled winner, with keeper Alex Palmer unable to keep out what appeared a week effort.
Spaniard Corberan, believed to have been a target throughout the club's recruitment process, was said to have held advanced talks with Albion and, after today, finds a club down in 23rd in the Championship after just two wins from 16 games.
Whoever takes on The Hawthorns hotseat faces an unenviable challenge of halting an alarming slump the club find themselves in, with last week's success at Reading a distant memory given successive defeats since.
The afternoon, and even half-time, might have been the very start of shoots of recovery for Bartley, but by the end it left Baggies fans wondering how lower things can slump in these worrying times.
There were shocks across the board as the team news for what looks like Beale's final game in charge was revealed ahead of kick-off.
The under-21s chief rung the changes after Tuesday night's limp performance in defeat at home to Bristol City.
In total there were six alterations to that side - with the headline inclusion that of long-serving defender Bartley.
The stopper had not been involved in a Baggies matchday squad since he endured a nightmare at The Hawthorns against Blues in mid-September, where he made a couple of errors leading to Scott Hogan goals and was booed off by home fans.
Former boss Steve Bruce said that night that Bartley would have to show the strength of character to recover.
Beale, though, admitted the defender had been 'training like a demon' during his spell in charge and the 31-year-old was rewarded with a recall.
Also back into the starting XI came Darnell Furlong, Adam Reach, Okay Yokuslu, Swift and Karlan Grant.
Missing out were Martin Kelly, Matty Phillips, Conor Townsend, Jake Livermore, Grady Diangana and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Kelly and Thomas-Asante were absent from The Den, while Livermore was spotted within the visitors coaching team, wearing an earpiece.
Millwall were missing in-form former Wolves man George Saville (illness) from the side that helped the hosts to three wins on the spin, including the midweek success over Slaven Bilic's Watford, courtesy of Tom Bradshaw's first-half hat-trick.
Albion lined up once again in a 3-4-3 formation, with Swift and Wallace central in support of lone striker Grant and wing-backs Furlong and Reach tasked to provide wide support.
Beale's visitors were fortunate to survive not falling behind inside 20 seconds as midfielder Billy Mitchell curled a deflected effort from distance just wide.
Albion and keeper Alex Palmer managed to get through some early dangerous balls down the side of the three-man defence and Millwall sensed early joy.
Bartley started in impressive style in a bid to redeem himself with the visiting faithful. He headed everything early on and seriously imposed himself on the contest.
The Baggies got forward at times, with Wallace keen to be a thorn in his former side. The Millwall supporters had been encouraged to make the winger's return to The Den - where he spent several happy seasons - as difficult as possible. And Wallace received a torrent of abuse from the stands every time he touched the ball.
The one time the Albion backline fell to sleep early on allowed the lively Zian Flemming a free header from a corner, but he sent it over.
Grant was gifted a run at the Lions defence and may have felt contact in the penalty area but delayed a fall to the deck, which might have cost him the decision with referee Andrew Madley - who had a look but waved it away.
But, on 20 minutes, the pelters given to Wallace grew in volume as the Baggies winger created an opener and celebrated in front of the home Cold Blow Lane Stand.
Dara O'Shea and Furlong initially left the ball to each other on the right touchline, before O'Shea powered on down the flank and was fouled. Play was allowed to continue and in darted Wallace, who dashed towards the box and byline before he composed himself for a low cross.
His centre expertly picked out Swift who, from around 10 yards out, sent a finish goalwards that flicked off a Millwall body and beyond keeper George Long and in.
Millwall attempted to respond in a contest with little of note between the sides. It was a scrappy affair with the Baggies blocking and clearing their lines well.
Wallace might have made it two at his former club after picking up a loose Millwall backwards header, but keeper Long was out in no time to narrow the space and close the angle to recover.
The visitors were pegged back, though, seven minutes before the break - in controversial and hugely unfortunate style.
Scott Malone won his side a free-kick out on the left from a very poor decision by referee Madley. It appeared Malone checked his run to make contact with Furlong and drop to the turf - the decision drew vocal protests from Albion players.
Winger Andreas Voglsammer's delivery was initially nodded half-clear and Furlong slipped and lost his man. The ball dropped to Styles inside the six-yard box, Furlong tried to recover but could not make up the yards and the attacker lifted a finish above Palmer into the roof of the net.
Frustrated Albion protests fell on deaf ears with the visitors left feeling hard done to.
Bartley was able to continue despite treatment for a head injury on the stroke of half-time, importantly for the Baggies with the defender a magnet to the high ball.
Millwall introduced on-loan Leeds defender Charlie Cresswell to try to shore themselves up and winger lively Burey was also sent on before the hour.
Twenty-one-year-old flyer Burey proved a livewire customer for the Baggies and Furlong to contain. He curled inches wide across goal from outside the box before appeared to hand the visitors the lead with 20 minutes to go.
Millwall worked it from right to left as Bradshaw slipped a clever pass into Burey, his low finish across Palmer was good and nestled into the far corner to roars from the only stands - only for them to be silenced by the offside flag, much to the glee of the travelling Baggies.
As the contest entered its final 15 minutes it remained on a knife-edge. The hosts had more of the ball and would have felt they merited a second goal, but Albion were still in the clash and showed a willingness to create, but a lack of quality told in the final third did not help their chances.
Where Swift, Wallace and Grant combined well and proved a threat in the first half, the trio - and Swift's replacement Tom Rogic - could not get going as a creative force in the second period.
Beale's roll of the dice - ignoring ex-West Ham man Diangana - was to call for Jayson Molumby and Rogic. Phillips then came on for Albion's sole striker, Grant, inside the final 10.
It was Albion, though, who would unravel in front of the roaring Millwall din inside the final five minutes of normal time.
Bartley was booked for a strong late challenge on Flemming midway through the second half and on 85 minutes he and his team were made to pay.
The defender clearly dragged down a Millwall forward and referee Madley was left with little choice but to obey the vociferous home crowd.
His dismissal made for a tougher final few minutes in time to batten down the hatches in acceptance of a point on the road.
But, once more, Albion let the spoils slip through their fingers. This time the Lions' winner came right at the death.
The clash had entered its final minute of regulation time when, as Millwall attacked against a man less, they spotted an overload on the left, in the shape of the lively Burey, and his bobbled finish - struck with little conviction - was enough to deceive Palmer, who had dived left, and creep in at the near post.
A finale to sum up the Baggies miserable campaign as the woes and struggles continue.
Corberan, or whoever takes the hotseat in the days to come, finds a club at a low ebb and in need of something, drastically.
Millwall (4-2-3-1): Long; McNamara, Hutchinson (c) (Cresswell, 45), Cooper, Malone; Mitchell, Shackleton; Voglsammer (Burey, 59), Flemming (Honeyman, 83), Styles (Bennett, 83); Bradshaw (Afobe, 76).
Subs not used: Bialkowski, Evans.
Albion (3-4-3): Palmer; Furlong, O'Shea (c), Bartley, Pieters (Phillips, 64); Yokuslu, Gardner-Hickman (Molumby, 75); Wallace, Swift (Rogic, 75), Reach; Grant.
Subs not used: Button, Townsend, Diangana, Cleary.
Attendance: 15,212
Referee: Andrew Madley
