​No slip-up for PNE as we swept aside the Millers with consummate ease, Preston fan John Smith reflects on the win over Rotherham

​The main reason for this being that is The Millers have had a far from merry time this year and this expected comfortable home win was their ninth loss in their 15 games since Boxing Day in a dismal sequence which has only produced one win .

If we could have hand-picked our opponents for this Good Friday fixture we could not of asked for an easier game and we totally nailed it against a Rotherham side who played like one cut adrift at the foot of the Championship table. In all honesty throughout the game I thought it never looked possible that we would hit skid row and allow them to record what would have been their first away victory since November 2022 .

The Millers had also been walloped 5-0 in their last two away games and judging by the paltry number of away fans gathered in the away section it appeared that the majority of them had lost faith in their team who had won just twice in their last 28 games. This was evident when they sarcastically shouted "ole ole " at one point as they moved the ball forward by stringing five or six passes together.

After an opening period where neither side really threatened the "game was afoot" midway through the first half when my man-of-the-match Duane Holmes kick started this "elementary" win. Two further goals in a five-minute spell just before the interval ensured that this game was over as a contest before the break.

Both of these goals were clinically finished off by Emil Riis inside our opponents area which made me wonder what our league position might have been had the Danish striker been available for selection all season particularly in the period between October and December when we appeared to lose our way a bit in our slide down the table.

With the game won the second half like was a bit like a broken calculator having nothing more to add in the way of goals. Although we had not donned the flip flops and knotted hankies it the ease of our win gave it a bit of an end of season feel .Nevertheless though it was very pleasing to see manager Ryan Lowe introduce three home grown youngsters Kian Best,Noah Mawene and Josh Seary off the bench and into the fray.

The win meant that we have now lost only once in our last ten matches and seems to justify the decision of the owners to back Ryan Lowe over the many keyboard warriors who were calling for a change of manager in the period just before this .

We will have to improve on this performance during our remaining eight games if we are to get our flickering play off flame lit up like a beacon .However you can only beat what is put in front of you and we are still in with an outside chance and desperately need to keep in touch with sixth placed Norwich over our next three games before our crunch home game with them.