Rumours abounded at the JJB Stadium that Wigan had succeeded in a club record bid for West Bromwich Albion striker Jason Roberts - and on this evidence his arrival can't come quickly enough.
The £1.7million pound deal is expected to be finalised on Monday and Roberts will need to start showing his new team-mates the way to go in double quick style if Wigan's promotion challenge is not to falter after a run of only three wins in 11 games.
Once again it was the same old story as the home side had the majority of the play and most of the chances against a niggly Millwall outfit that was intent on spoiling the afternoon's entertainment right from the kick-off.
The visitors had no fewer than four men booked by referee Ilderton, who himself contributed in no small measure to a shapeless encounter with his over fussy style.
The Latics should have gone in front on more than one occasion in the first half, but they were denied by their own weakness in front of goal and by the superb reflexes of Millwall keeper Tony Warner, who demonstrated his agility to deny both Jason De Vos and Nathan Ellington.
At the other end Darren Ward missed the chance of the match after only 18 minutes when he shot wide from six yards with only John Filan to beat, but it was a rare Millwall raid as the home side kept up the pressure.
The pattern continued after the break with Wigan's Neil Roberts seeing a shot come back off the bar, De Vos heading wide and Ellington seeing a goal bound shot deflected for a corner.
Wigan keeper Filan kept his side in the picture with saves from Neil Harris and Kevin Braniff.
Millwall must have thought they had stolen it when Harris bungled the ball into the back of the home net in the dying minutes only for the effort to be disallowed on the intervention of the assistant referee.