Dave Seddon's verdict: Preston North End 0 Millwall 1 - Missed opportunity for PNE in the promotion race

Teams around them have dropped points when least expected to do so, PNE in the meantime picking up 14 points from the 18 on offer between January 11 and February 12.

The boot was on the other foot on Saturday as Millwall, without a win in four and in 11th spot before kick-off, came to Deepdale and inflicted a first league defeat since New Year’s Day.

This was on an afternoon when only one of the top seven won and the division’s bottom side won away at third top.

The damage this defeat caused could have been much worse, Alex Neil’s men staying in sixth place and losing only minimal ground.

What was frustrating was the sense of what they could have won – a football version of ‘Bullseye’ if you like.

Had they beaten Millwall, North End would have jumped up to third place.

With 13 more games to play there will be plenty more twists and turns yet. But the stronger the foothold a team has in the chasing pack, the better it is.

Millwall headed home to the capital as worthy winners of this game.

They lived on their wits for the opening quarter of an hour or so as PNE enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Steadily though, the Lions prowled their way into it and were much the stronger side as the second half went on.

Shaun Hutchinson’s 78th minute winner didn’t come as too much of a surprise, with a couple of warning shots having been fired across the bow before that.

It wasn’t the prettiest of goals, coming in the second phase after a corner, but it did the job for the visitors.

You almost sensed a result like this was on the cards, the Lilywhites returning to play in front of the faithful after two wins on the road.

The expectation levels were raised, the onus on them to secure a third victory of the week.

Once that early flourish wore off, it got harder for North End and they found Millwall a well organised unit.

Three big centre-halves protected the box, with their wing-backs happy to drop deep and form a five-man barrier when needed.

The fact Preston’s one meaningful chance of the second half was a free-kick in stoppage-time from sub Paul Gallagher, showed how they struggled to find a way past.

Gallagher came off the bench with Josh Harrop with 25 minutes left, Sean Maguire joining them 13 minutes from time.

Position wise, they were like-for-like changes when perhaps something a bit different was needed.

The identity of the half-time guest won’t have been lost on PNE fans of a certain age and above.

Brian Mooney, king of the plastic pitch in the late 1980s, received the warmest of welcomes.

In his day the Irishman was a game-changer, a player who could do something out of nothing.

Someone of his ilk on this occasion was just what North End needed.

Although the defeat was disappointing, it does need to be put into some context.

Unbeaten in six, with four wins out of last five, Neil’s men were in good form and should be applauded for that.

Post-match, Neil was at pains to point out how well his squad – put together on the budget it has been – had done to be where they are. He’s back them to go again, put this setback behind them.

Other sides up there in the pack have had similar off days of late, PNE aren’t alone in that.

So any criticism needs to be measured and not wildly overboard.

Neil had chosen to make two changes to the starting XI from last Wednesday night’s win at Stoke.

David Nugent got the nod ahead of Maguire to lead the attack, Tom Clarke starting at right-back in place of Darnell Fisher who had been feeling his hamstring of late.

Clarke’s use at right-back always attracts comment and criticism, unfairly at times.

The skipper is no Cafu in an attacking sense, he won’t get forward in the way Fisher sometimes does.

He’s solid defensively, even though the full-back role is not his preferred position.

Clarke made his fair share of clearances, won headers, Millwall never really looking like they were targeting him.

Up front, Nugent had done well coming on at Stoke so it wasn’t a surprise to see him start this one.

With a calmer head he would have scored early in the game, Daniel Johnson having seen a shot parried by keeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

The rebound fell to him, Nugent scooping a first-time shot too high when he had the time to take a touch.

Johnson should have done better with the initial shot, it falling to him in a similar place he scored from at Wigan the week before.

Instead of keeping it low, this time he went for a bit of lift on the shot and allowed Bialkowski the chance to push it out.

Scott Sinclair had seen a shot well blocked by Mahlon Romeo before that in what was a promising start.

But Millwall began to serve notice of what they had to offer, Johnson having to make a vital block near the line in a goalmouth scramble, then Declan Rudd saved with his left foot from Jake Cooper.

Tom Bradshaw should have put the visitors ahead in the 61st minute when Ben Davies was caught in two minds about how to deal with a clearance which came in his direction.

Bradshaw whipped the ball off him and set off goalwards, his shot from inside the box having too much power and clipping the top of the bar on its way over.

It was only a reprieve, the game’s only goal coming in the 78th minute.

Murray Wallace’s header from a corner was headed out by Gallagher and came back towards Wallace.

He looped a header over the PNE defence, it dropping to Hutchinson who stepped past Barkhuizen to nod home.

Tamed by the Lions, it’s the Tigers next for Preston when Hull come to town.