Not A Good Friday For Millers

Preston North End 3 Rotherham United 0
Holmes (22)
Riis Jakobsen (37,42)


Three first half goals was enough for Rotherham United to fall to another defeat this time at Deepdale against Preston North End.

The Millers had half a chance in the opening minutes when Seb Revan found Ollie Rathbone with a cross but skipper for the day Rathbone didn’t collect cleanly which was enough for Alistair McCann to clear before Robbie Brady won a throw-in for the hosts which turned into a corner which the Millers defence cleared. The weather then changed as a drumming on the roof was followed by hail which whitened the pitch, wind and rain making the playing conditions – and watching conditions – difficult. Hakeem Odoffin did well to stop Brady finding Will Keane who would have been through on goal which was followed minutes later by Duane Holmes looking for the Republic of Ireland forward but a good intervention from Cameron Humphreys stopped them both in their tracks. Twice Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson was caught and had to have the medical team on but he managed to stay on the pitch. A clearance by Cafu found Rathbone but Riis got the better of him sending the ball towards Mads Frokjaer-Jensen but Revan cleared up although the whistle had already gone for a poor challenge on Odoffin. Sam Nombe flew up the pitch winning a throw-in which Lee Peltier took long finding Odoffin who flicked the ball into the path of Charlie Wyke who was flagged offside. A minute later Preston took the lead. Brady was allowed far too much room to send a low ball across the box finding Holmes on the back post who put the ball into the back of the net. Minutes later in might have been two when the same players were involved but the other way round with Brady heading wide which was followed by a cross from Frokjaer finding Keane who saw his shot blocked by Odoffin. A rare foray up front from Rotherham saw Wyke find Cafu who moved just outside the box only to see Preston ‘keeper Freddie Woodman save his shot before a foul on Wyke saw Cafu take the resulting set-piece which was cleared as far as Peltier who sent the ball back into the crowded box only for the offside flag to go up. On thirty-seven minutes the hosts made it two-nil after McCann got the better of Jamie Lindsay and passed the ball to Frokjaer who in turn found Riis who fired into the bottom corner of the net. Five minutes later some nice work from Holmes saw him find Keane who sent the ball to Riis in the area with the Dane turning and sent the ball past a diving Johansson for number three. A late challenge on Alan Browne saw the first yellow of the game go to Rathbone as the board went up for a further five minutes. A good move from Holmes left his marker behind and saw him find McCann who brought off a lovely save from Johansson before Brady tried his luck from distance which flew over the crossbar.

A change for the Millers for the start of the second half saw Cohen Bramall on for Cafu. Rotherham won an early corner after Robbie Brady sent a Seb Revan cross behind which was taken short to Ollie Rathbone whose cross into the box was cleared. Viktor Johansson was there to catch a Duane Holmes cross before it reached Emil Riis Jakobsen which was followed by a high cross into the box at the other end from Revan finding the Charlie Wyke who headed straight into the waiting hands of Freddie Woodman although the offside flag had been raised anyway. Mads Frokjaer-Jensen got the better of the visitors defence but his cross went skew-whiff before Bramall and Sam Nombe worked together well and won a corner at the other end which Sam Clucas took finding Hakeem Odoffin who put the ball on one foot then the other but had opposition players around him and couldn’t get a shot away. Alan Browne found Riis who sent the ball into the path of Will Keane but his shot was weak and went out for a goal kick. A double change for the hosts saw Jordan Storey and Robbie Brady make way for Jack Whatmough and Kian Best. Nice work between Best and Browne saw the ball find Duane Holmes whose shot from outside the box went wide before a shot at goal minutes later from Best was blocked. Referee Stephen Martin showed a yellow card to Riis for a lunge at Rathbone. A double change for the Millers saw Tom Eaves and Andy Rinomhota come on for Charlie Wyke and Ollie Rathbone. With fifteen minutes left on the clock a poor challenge on Nombe earned Liam Lindsay a booking with the resulting Clucas free-kick finding Lee Peltier who saw his acrobatic shot go inches past the post. A good cross from Odoffin found Clucas whose shot was well saved by Woodman which was followed by two more changes for Preston Noah Mawene and Layton Stewart coming on for Ali McCann and Will Keane and Lee Peltier going off for Shane Ferguson for the Millers. Browne tried his luck from some thirty yards out but Johansson followed it all the way and collected before Revan won a free-kick which came to nothing. Another two subs saw Seb Revan make way for Femi Seriki for the Millers while the Lilywhites brought on Josh Seary for Duane Holmes. In the four minutes of added time it looked like Rotherham might get a consolation when a lovely ball from Clucas found Nombe on the run but he fired over as the offside flag was raised.

Well, the damage was well and truly done with the three first half goals and, to be fair to the Millers, there was more effort in the second half. But we always seemed to be second to any ball, passed when we should have run and, at one five minute spell, we had a string of passes going across the pitch and forward before it was hit back to Viktor when it, in my humble opinion, should have been sent towards the box.

So, another defeat and yet we are still mathematically waiting for the fat lady to warble and have a big ‘R’ next to our name in the table.

Referee – Stephen Martin

Attendance – 15,470