Talking points from Preston North End's home defeat against Millwall

In doing so, the Lions became the second side to do the double on PNE this season – Reading were the other - with the Lilywhites having done so to Barnsley, Wigan and Stoke.

Here are some of the talking points from the 1-0 defeat.

1. This was North End’s Championship defeat since Middlesbrough beat them on New Year’s Day.

Since then they had won four and drawn two of their six games, before Millwall threw this spanner into the works. Interestingly for a side with the strongest home record in the division, PNE haven’t kept a clean sheet at Deepdale for five months.

The last shut-out on home turf came against Brentford on September 14.

Despite this defeat, Alex Neil’s men stayed sixth as Bristol City were beaten by Leeds United.

Directly above them, Nottingham Forest and Brentford edged a point further ahead but Fulham lost 3-0 to Barnsley in the shock result of the day.

So this result while disappointing was by no means a disaster.

2. North End lacked a clinical edge as the scoreline suggests.

They only managed three efforts on target – an early chance from Scott Sinclair which Mahlon Romeo blocked, Daniel Johnson’s shot forcing goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski to parry and Paul Gallagher’s late free-kick.

Millwall lined-up with three centre-backs, David Nugent given the task of trying to stretch them and pick holes.

The approach was to try and get Nugent playing in the channels and bring others into play that way.

Nugent later gave way to Sean Maguire when perhaps this was the type of game to suit Jayden Stockley.

He could have turned it into a more physical battle with the aim to pick up second balls from him, especially as the wind got stronger in the second half.

Maguire's introduction followed an earlier double change which saw Paul Gallagher and Josh Harrop come for Alan Browne and Scott Sinclair.

Neil was to admit his substitutions didn't have the desired affect, the first two changes designed to get PNE on the ball a lot more. We didn't see that happen.

3. Tom Clarke was the choice of Alex Neil to fill the right-back vacancy created by Darnell Fisher’s absence with a hamstring niggle.

Joe Rafferty was the other right-back option but he stayed on the bench for the third game in a row.

The demands of playing full-back have grown in the last few years, with much more emphasis on getting forward.

Clarke plays the role in a more traditional defensive way which is what Neil wanted in this game.

But it meant PNE lacked an extra body on the right when on the attack.

Maybe this shows how important Fisher has become to the team.

4. After going six games without a yellow card, there was a second in successive outings for Ben Pearson.

The midfielder was cautioned for attempting to trip Jed Wallace as Millwall broke on the counter in the 83rd minute, a break which ended with Declan Rudd saving from Connor Mahoney.

That’s nine bookings for the season for Pearson and the next triggers a two-game ban.

With West Bromwich Albion and Fulham on the horizon, that’s not ideal.