Alex Neil frustrated as Preston North End can't make first-half advantage count in Rotherham draw

Preston North End celebrate Tom Barkhuizen's goal against Rotherham

Preston North End 1-1 Rotherham: As it happened and reaction

But a disappointing second-half display saw Michael Smith score on 55 minutes with the game ultimately ending honours even.

Callum Robinson was denied by Marek Rodak late on in the closest either side came to a winner.

“I thought we started really brightly in the first 10 minutes of the game and looked like we were going to go and win quite comfortably,” said Neil, whose side are 20th in the Championship but five games unbeaten.

“Credit to Rotherham, they came back into the game.

“In the first half we were much more dangerous than they were and we got the goal which was really pleasing.

“We just needed to go out in the second half and see the game out to win.

“Rotherham changed it and went with two up front rather than one and went really direct. The biggest disappointment is we didn’t cope with that as well as we should have.

“Then when it did go forward for us we didn’t perform as well as we did at the top end of the pitch as we did in the first half.

“To be fair I thought we had enough to get the next goal and Callum’s chance late on is one you’d expect him to put in the net.”