Millwall seemed to suffer from an FA Cup hangover as they went down 2-1 to
struggling Preston at Deepdale.
Eddie Lewis and Lee Cartwright scored for the home side, while Christophe
Kinet grabbed a late consolation for Mark McGhee's side.
Rob Edwards and Dickson Etuhu returned for Craig Brown's side after recovering
from ankle and hamstring injuries respectively, while Matt Lawrence missed out
for Millwall but Andy Roberts was named on the bench following his Achilles
problem.
The home side dominated the opening stages and broke the deadlock in the 15th
minute. Richard Cresswell's cross found Lewis and the American international
sent a first-time volley flying past Tony Warner in the Millwall goal.
Preston could have been two up five minutes later but Chris Lucketti headed
Etuhu's cross over the crossbar, but it did not take them long to double their
lead.
Lewis was causing the Millwall defence problems and his cross was headed past
Warner by Cartwright for only his second goal of the season to make it 2-0 in
the 25th minute.
Millwall were struggling and Charley Hearn paid the price as he was taken off
in favour of Ben May immediately following Preston's second.
They were still finding it difficult to contain Lewis, who tried his luck from
distance two minutes later but Warner was equal to the shot, and 37th-minute
effort went wide.
Steve Reid had Millwall's first real attempt at goal just before half-time but
his effort went wide from distance.
Preston began the second half as they'd finished the first and Warner was
called into action early on, dealing well with crosses from Cartwright, Lewis
and Graham Alexander.
Millwall were battling hard to get back into the game, Paul Ifill tried an
overhead kick which went wide before Robert Ryan was replaced by Christophe
Kinet.
The home side were not sitting back but a period of pressure ended with Etuhu
volleying wide. Lewis tried to add to his tally with a curling 20-yard shot but
was replaced soon after by Tyrone Mears after picking up an injury.
Mears missed a chance to extend the lead in the 69th minute, heading wide from
Cartwright's cross.
Millwall grabbed a consolation with two minutes left through a spectacular
strike from substitute Kinet, who volleyed left-footed past Jonathan Gould from
30 yards out, but it was too late to prevent Preston taking all three points.
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