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Preston North End logo
Championship | Gameweek 28
Feb 6, 2021 at 3pm UK
Deepdale
Rotherham logo

Preston
1 - 2
Rotherham

Evans (65')
Evans (37')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Rafferty (1' og.), Wiles (55')
Barlaser (26'), Ihiekwe (72'), Crooks (90+3')

Rotherham climb out of relegation zone with Preston triumph

Joe Rafferty scored an own goal after just 17 seconds.

Rotherham climbed out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone with their first away win over Preston for 18 years after a battling 2-1 victory at Deepdale.

Joe Rafferty's unfortunate own goal after just 17 seconds and a superb Ben Wiles strike did the damage.

Ched Evans pulled a goal back for Preston in the 65th minute following a goalmouth scramble, but the Lilywhites crashed to a second successive defeat.

Ryan Giles and Lewis Wing both made their first starts as the Millers looked to register back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

And the visitors had the perfect start when Rafferty bizarrely headed Freddie Ladapo's shot into his own net.

Clark Robertson had a decent chance to double the advantage in the 10th minute, but his left-foot shot on the edge of the box was blocked.

At the other end, midfielder Jayson Molumby rifled wide with a wayward right-foot strike as the hosts looked to get back on level terms.

New recruit Anthony Gordon went tantalisingly close to equalising, but his right-foot curling free-kick flew just wide of the right-hand upright.

Gordon powered just over the bar as Preston pushed hard to restore parity and then, 10 minutes before half-time, Evans forced a fine save from Millers keeper Viktor Johansson. The striker's header looked destined for the top corner, but a full-stretch Johansson palmed the effort away.

Ryan Ledson floated a delicious ball into the six-yard box, but Tom Barkhuizen somehow managed to poke straight at Johansson with the goal at his mercy.

Midfielder Ben Whiteman crashed a stinging free-kick against the left-hand post, but the ball just would not go in for the Lilywhites.

Whiteman rifled inches wide of the left-hand post immediately after the restart, but it was the Millers who opened up a two-goal cushion courtesy of Wiles' sweet strike, his first away goal for nearly a year.

The forward was afforded too much time in the box and powered into the bottom-right corner with a thunderous effort.

Barkhuizen had a great chance to redeem himself after his earlier miss, but this time shot tamely into Johansson's hands when he should have done much better from close range.

Evans pulled a goal back, his first goal for his new club, with a typical poacher's finish as North End sensed a comeback.

But at the other end substitute Michael Smith was denied a goal after a solid save from Leicester loanee Daniel Iversen, playing against his former loan club.

Substitute Scott Sinclair had the ball in the back of the net with seven minutes remaining, but to rub salt into Preston's wounds, the winger's effort was controversially ruled out for offside as they missed out on a point.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds38257670284282
2Leicester CityLeicester37264774334182
3Ipswich TownIpswich38249580493181
4Southampton36227773472673
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom381991059362366
6Norwich CityNorwich381871369541561
7Hull City371610115346758
8Coventry CityCoventry3715121059431657
9Preston North EndPreston37168134954-556
10Middlesbrough38166165352154
11Cardiff CityCardiff38165174351-853
12Sunderland38146184845348
13Watford381212145351248
14Bristol City38138174245-347
15Swansea CitySwansea381210164858-1046
16Millwall381110173650-1443
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn38119185164-1342
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth381011175462-841
19Stoke CityStoke38118193553-1841
20Queens Park RangersQPR381010183650-1440
21Birmingham CityBirmingham38109194259-1739
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38815154261-1939
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds38115223061-3138
24Rotherham UnitedRotherham38311243077-4720


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