Millwall boss Gary Rowett happy with performance after weathering Preston North End storm

Gary Rowett applauds Millwall's travelling support.

The heavens opened in PR1 as North End slumped to a home defeat, Sam Hutchinson profiting after Murray Wallace had headed a ball back into the area, ghosting in unmarked to nod past Declan Rudd.

That goal came with just over 10 minutes to go and Preston were unable to get anything in the game, North End's best spell came in the opening exchanges where they spurned several chances on goal before Millwall came into the game and largely had the better of it.

Rowett acknowledged both North End's strong start and how difficult it is to come to Deepdale and get a result, but was delighted with his side's efforts.

He said: "If you looked at the game overall, apart from the first 10 or 15 minutes, where Preston showed in that opening spell why they’ve got the best home record in the division, they showed how tough a place it is to come and stop them doing what they want to do.

"They’ve been really well coached and well set up by Alex for a long time now, they have a lot of mobility in midfield, a lot of quality, a lot of movement.

"I thought the first 10-15, whilst we didn’t help ourselves with a few wasteful passes, they made it really difficult for us and got into some good positions themselves.

"I thought after that we really got to grips with the game and I felt we, not necessarily controlled the game because that sounds a little bit conceited, but we played really, really well."

Getting all three points for their trip back home to the capital, the Millwall boss, Rowett, thought it wouldn't have been fair had his side not got the all important goal.

"We worked the ball very well, wide to our wing backs. I thought our centre backs stepped in at the right time, you saw an example of that when Jake Cooper goes one v one with the goalie but couldn’t quite sort his feet out," the 45-year-old said.

"We created some good opportunities, we limited Preston to very few opportunities.

"I though our back three defended very resolutely. Any direct balls we started to win that first contact and dictate it.

"It would have been a shame if we hadn’t got the goal, we created the best chances by far late on in the game and probably should have made it a couple."