Match Report: Preston North End 0-0 Rotherham United - PNE frustrated at Deepdale as they fail to take chances

PNE were on top of the game throughout and had by far the better of the chances, but could not find enough to convert them.

Their best chance of the game fell to Troy Parrott who went through one on one but saw his effort saved.

Ryan Lowe made one change to the side that beat Luton Town, with Daniel Johnson coming in for Ali McCann.

He stuck with the same 3-4-2-1 system that worked against both Huddersfield Town and Luton, with Johnson and Alan Browne in behind Parrott.

Elsewhere things were unchanged, with PNE's defensive record the best in the league going into the game.

Rotherham were in good form, having beaten Reading 4-0 just a few days earlier.

North End started the game well, Parrott carrying the ball to the edge of the box before laying it into the path of Johnson, who guided the ball beyond the far post just four minutes into the game.

Parrott saw a shot blocked a minute later, checking inside and out to beat his man but a covering defender was on hand.

The Irishman was frustrated again 26 minutes in, getting on the end of Robbie Brady's cross but being unable to beat a desperate leg of a defender.

The Tottenham loanee was at the centre of everything in the first half and his cross just past the half hour mark was into a dangerous area for Brady put Browne's best intentions to cushion it for the left wing back in the end put it beyond him.

Just a minute later, on 32 minutes, Dan Barlaser slipped a ball through for Conor Washington who looked to find the far corner but narrowly missed.

Then came the biggest chance of the half, Browne and Parrott combined with the latter running through on goal one on one, he looked to place his shot low but Viktor Johansson saved with his legs.

The Millers were not done however as the ended the 45 for the last chance, coming three minutes before the interval. Cohen Bramall's cross from the left was met by Washington forcing a quick save from Freddie Woodman low down to his right.

The second half for PNE started as they ended it, still looking for a way to break the deadlock but being frustrated by a dogged Millers defence.

Chances were made and blocked but Browne had the first shot on target in the half after 58 minutes, Ledson's dummy finding the skipper who turned on the ball and fired at goal - the ball bounced just before the goalkeeper but he held on all the same.

Emil Riis was brought on just after the hour mark and on 69 minutes he beat his man all ends up before going round another and smashing the ball of the near post from a tight angle.

The integrity of the woodwork was again tested four minutes later, Potts with a piledriver from 25 yards that dipped at the last second but not quite enough, with much of the ground expecting it to find the net.

Moments later, Johnson was denied from a corner with the ball landing at his feet and then, of course, being blocked and just about going wide.

With seven minutes to go Ben Whiteman, now with the captain's armband tried his luck from range but the Millers stopper was down to tip it away.

A last second shot from Ben Woodburn, who had come off the bench, was all North End could do in six minutes of stoppage time, that turned into eight, as they were left wondering how they had not won the game.

PNE Starting XI: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Whiteman, Ledson (Riis, 61'), Brady, Browne (Woodburn, 81'), Johnson (McCann, 81'), Parrott (Evans, 88').PNE subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Cunningham.

Rotherham United XI: Johansson, Peltier, Hall, Humphreys, Harding (Kelly, 71'), Barlaser, Wiles (Wood, 90+1'), Lindsay (Rathbone, 45'), Bramall, Ogbene, Washington (High, 60').

Rotherham subs not used: Vickers, McCart, Ferguson.

Attendance: 14,479 (601 away)