[themaclad]

Millwall 2 Bradshaw Flemming Preston North End 0

Gary Rowett has never lost to PNE as a manager

Millwall starting XI: Long; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Wallace (Malone, 7); Mitchell, Saville; Burke (Esse, 70), Flemming (Shackleton, 85), Voglsammer (Watmore, 70); Bradshaw (Bennett, 85). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Evans.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay (Diaby, 68), Hughes; Potts, Whiteman (Ledson, 68), Onomah (Woodburn, 83), Johnson, Brady (Fernández, 68); Cannon, Parrott (Delap, 68). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer.

Attendance: 16,488 (1,173 PNE fans).

Referee: Mr T Robinson.

Preston North End’s winning run came to an end at The Den as a goal in both halves for Millwall earned a 2-0 victory for the hosts.

Bradshaw flicked Zian Flemming’s cross into the far corner to break the deadlock early on, before North End came close themselves on a number of occasions in the first half through the likes of Andrew Hughes and Josh Onomah.

PNE were arguably the side on top and kept searching for an equaliser, but Flemming scored at the other end in the 72nd minute to seal the win.

Ryan Lowe made one change from the Easter Monday victory over Reading, with Robbie Brady replacing Álvaro Fernández, while Liam Delap returned from illness to make the bench.

North End almost got off to a flying start when Onomah flicked the ball into the direction of former Millwall loanee Troy Parrott, but he fired his first-time effort over the bar.

The hosts then took the lead with their first effort of the afternoon, as Flemming whipped a dangerous cross onto the head of Bradshaw, who flicked on into the far corner.

At the other end, Onomah showed good feet to beat his man and unleash a powerful effort at goal, which was well kept out by George Long, and a defender then threw his body in the way of Tom Cannon’s follow-up.

PNE came close again just before the half-hour mark when Ben Whiteman and Daniel Johnson played a smart one-two from a corner, and the former whipped a vicious effort towards the far corner, where Billy Mitchell managed to make a crucial block.

Just a few minutes later, Andrew Hughes tested the goal with a low strike and the ‘keeper stuck out his left leg to prevent an equaliser.

Seven minutes into the second half, PNE worked the ball well down the left as Brady used the overlapping run of Hughes, who pulled it back for Johnson on the 12-yard spot, but the midfielder just didn’t quite make the required contact.

North End continued to be the side on top and, after a quadruple change, created what looked like a great opportunity, however the ball was just taken off the toe of Onomah before he could strike at goal.

On 72 minutes, though, the hosts scored with their second shot on target of the day, as Cooper’s knockdown header was pounced on by Flemming, who struck past Woodman.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Fernández did so well to keep the ball in on the byline and cut it back for Delap, whose close-range shot was remarkably blocked on the goal-line by Scott Malone.

That was about it as far as goalmouth action was concerned and the hosts came out 2-0 winners.