John Roper’s Preston North End Fans’ Panel verdict: Home form MUST be improved as priority

From the first minute of the game the home side adopted a back-to-front game which saw PNE dragged in but the Millers executed their gameplan much better than the visitors.

No changes for Alex Neil, the manager keeping faith with the side who had the brilliant result at Reading.

Before the game we were expecting the Millers to be direct but they took the ‘Route One’ game plan to a different level in the first half at the New York Stadium.

The early encounters were scrappy with neither side being able to get any decent quality on the ball.

I have to say that our distribution wasn’t the best I have seen in the first period as we gave the ball away a bit too often.

Daniel Johnson had North End’s best chance of the half, shooting straight at the keeper after 24 minutes. Rotherham persisted with their tactics although their best chance came from a free-kick which brought an excellent save from Declan Rudd.

The second half started very much like the first half had finished, with Rotherham lumping it up and Preston not able to get any decent quality on the ball.

The home side had a good chance seven minutes in which went begging but took the lead just 60 seconds later when Wood fired home from close range when we really should have cleared. Stockley, Barkhuizen and, latterly, Gallagher were all brought into action as PNE looked for an equaliser.

We started to get on top as the home side started to tire and with 10 minutes left Ledson fired through a crowded box to level the scores.

At this point I fancied us to go on and win the game but it was Rotherham who broke away after we lost the ball in midfield and Crooks fired home to give the home side all three points.

A Jayden Stockley header hit the post in added time but Rotherham held on to leave North End licking their wounds.

A first away defeat for PNE this season and somewhat disappointing in the fact that the manager couldn’t come up with a counter plan to nullify the home side’s attack.

North End had the better quality players but Rotherham had the better plan and discharge it to a tee.

Thirteen points from the first 11 games is a mediocre start at best this season and, while expectations mustn’t get too high, to lose the first five at home has been nothing short of a disaster.

I thought North End looked a bit jaded at Rotherham and while I am all for keeping a winning side together it might have been better just to freshen it up a bit this being the seventh game in twenty two days.

A fortnight break from league action now and plenty of reflection time for the management team to look at the first quarter of the season and identify clear areas for improvement.

No doubt that the form at home will be first on the improvement agenda.