​Routine victory but also great to see boss Ryan Lowe give youth a chance, Preston supporter Tim Mercer looks back at the win over Rotherham

But this is Preston North End, and at the start of the match myself and those around me had that old foreboding in the back of our collective minds … of all the occasions in the past when we’ve slipped on this and other proverbial banana skins!

For once this didn’t happen as, in truth, it was all over by half-time with the Lilywhites cruising three goals to the good, including a brace from born-again striker Emil Riis and with the opener from a player who has had to sit on the bench of late, Duane Holmes.

For this fan, the signing of Holmes in the Summer on a free transfer was a great piece of business and so it was uplifting to see him given a start.

He always has that ability to unnerve defences with his cuts inside that, despite this being his modus operandi, never seems to fail.

On this occasion, a great pass across the box by Robbie Brady gave him a simple tap-in, but he also received a lot of plaudits from his team-mates for setting up and delivering the pass that eventually led to Riss’ second and Preston’s third.

Normally I’d be buzzing at being 3-0 up by time of my cup of Bovril, but the game itself was a wee bit boring and probably a reflection of how far out of touch the Millers now find themselves at this level to the extent that I felt somewhat sorry for their few fans who had travelled across the Pennines.

Some of that was lifted by their ironic chant of how ‘bad’ North End must be for even allowing their team to have a shot. In response they received applause from large sections of the North End faithful.

The second half was a non-affair, as the hosts saved their energy for the Easter Monday trip to Birmingham City and the visitors simply accepted their fate, bar a mess up by a Rotherham forward from their only real chance as he tried a spectacular overhead kick from inside the six-yard area that he then failed to make contact with.

Ironic cheers from all sides of the ground, including from his own fans.

One big positive of the second period was seeing three academy players coming off the bench and giving good accounts of themselves.

No matter anyone’s opinion of Ryan Lowe, he must surely be applauded for changing the whole feel of the youth

set-up and with those players who would have drifted away in the past now seeing there is a real pathway and chance to step up to first team level. Long may it continue.

So, a clean sheet was kept and we forgo the Prestonian tradition of rolling eggs on Avenham Park and instead land at St Andrew’s for hopefully our own Easter parade.