Richard Cresswell proved there is life after Jon Macken as his double brought
Preston a hard-earned three points against Rotherham.
The 24-year-old pounced in each half to give David Moyes' men a third win in
four games - and move them a step closer to the Division One play-off zone.
For Rotherham however, attention is still fixed very much on the other end of
the table with the Millers still two wins shy of the 50 points Ronnie Moore
predicts will be enough to ensure survival.
North End just about deserved the three points, but Moore will rue a
first-half miss from striker Alan Lee that may well come to rank as one of the
misses of the season.
Lee made amends with a second-half leveller, but had he put the visitors ahead
with his early sitter the result may have been very different.
The faithful had arrived at Deepdale knowing their star man Macken was now on
the books at Manchester City - after the 24-year-old's £5million move to Maine
Road last week - but the hosts' bright start suggested they did not want to let
his absence affect them.
They were certainly egged on by an over-enthusiastic Moyes, who in the fourth
minute sprinted on to the pitch to collect a dead ball before being ordered to
restrain himself by the fourth official.
The Scot was evidently desperate for a good start, and his side almost
delivered two minutes later.
Cresswell, looking lively on the right, supplied an excellent cross which
enticed Millers keeper Mike Pollitt, but he could only palm the ball as far as
Healy, whose low effort was eventually smothered.
Six minutes later, Rob Edwards' deflected shot was only just saved by Pollitt,
with the subsequent goalmouth scramble provided near misses for Dickson Etuhu
and David Healy.
But for all the hosts' early pressure, Rotherham should have made it one-nil
through Lee just before the quarter-hour mark.
After defensive uncertainty, the former Aston Villa trainee neatly beat the
keeper and only had to stroke the ball into an empty net from 15 yards, but
somehow contrived to pull it wide of the net to the visiting fans' open-mouthed
disbelief.
Five minutes later and the Millers almost paid for that moment of profligacy
when Graham Alexander's cross was mistakenly swiped towards goal by the boot of
Marvin Bryan, but luckily for the full-back his miskick was collected
comfortably by Pollitt.
Dickson Etuhu has settled well into the heart of Preston's midfield since his
move from Manchester City, and it was his power and incisiveness that gave
Cresswell a good shooting chance on 26 minutes.
The former Leicester man controlled well before taking the ball inside and
firing just wide with an 18-yard left-footed curler.
Just after the half-hour mark Rotherham were dealt a blow when keeper Pollitt
fell awkwardly after claiming a straight-forward catch from Alexander's corner.
The highly-rated stopper received treatment on the pitch but was unable to
continue, paving the way for Ian Gray to come on in his place.
After the stoppage Preston continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession,
and Healy's clever back-heel after good interplay with Thordur Gudjonsson nearly
led to Cresswell opening the scoring.
The visitors were however making good with what little of the opportunity they
had, Richard Parker's 37th-minute header from Nick Daws' corner just skimming
Lucas' crossbar.
But in first-half injury time Cresswell unexpectedly managed to get on the end
of Edwards' corner, heading in from point-blank range with sub keeper Gray
seemingly badly placed.
A torrential hailstorm greeted the players at the start of the second half,
and for a time the game resorted to a fairly aimless tussle in midfield.
Rotherham were looking to build on their creditable draw at high-flying
Norwich in midweek and haul themselves further away from the drop zone.
In the 54th minute Cresswell almost added a second - again with a close-range
header - after Healy's pull-back header from the left byline, but his effort was
blocked by Gray.
Cresswell was enjoying a wealth of space up front, and in the 56th minute he
was able to surge unchallenged down the left side. However he was unable to
supply the finish, seeing his first effort blocked low by Gray and then
selfishly firing the rebound into the side-netting when a centre seemed the
sensible option.
Rotherham looked to be posing little if any threat but they shocked the home
faithful with an equaliser in the 66th minute.
John Mullin delivered a defence-splitting pass and Lee made up for his earlier
howler by lifting a deft finish beyond the advancing Lucas.
But when a calm foot on the ball should have been the order of the day for the
Millers, Preston took advantage of bad marking to restore their lead four
minutes later.
With Etuhu again charging through the centre, Guy Branston's tackle ended with
the ball falling loose to Cresswell, who tucked a first-time effort low beneath
Lucas.
Consolidating their growing reputation as late-season specialists, Preston
march on towards the play-offs.
Teams
Preston: Lucas, Alexander, Edwards, Lucketti, Eaton, McKenna,
Gudjonsson (Cartwright 70), Etuhu, Anderson (Keane 58), Healy,
Cresswell.
Subs Not Used: Basham, Reid, Moilanen.
Booked: Edwards.
Goals: Cresswell 45, 70.
Rotherham: Pollitt (Gray 33), Hurst, Swailes, Branston, Bryan,
Daws, Sedgwick (Monkhouse 73), Richard Barker (Robins 57),
Mullin, Lee, Warne.
Subs Not Used: Watson, Beech.
Goals: Lee 66.
Att: 14,579
Ref: S Baines (Chesterfield).
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