Match ends, Millwall 1, Preston North End 3.
MillwallMillwall1PrestonPreston North End3
Preston North End scored three goals in the opening 27 minutes at Millwall to extend their unbeaten run to eight games.
Andrew Hughes gave the Lilywhites the lead in the third minute when he sent a first-time volley into the bottom corner after the Lions had failed to clear a free-kick.
Tom Clarke doubled the visitors' lead with a back-post header from Paul Gallagher's corner, and Sean Maguire then latched on to a Gallagher through ball to dink home and make it 3-0 before the half-hour was up.
Ben Thompson pulled a goal back midway through the second half when he smashed home from Steve Morison's knockdown, but the midfielder had a second ruled out for offside as Millwall tried to mount a comeback.
Victory moved Preston up to 10th, six points off the play-offs, while Millwall are now four points above the relegation zone after Rotherham drew at Reading.
Neil Harris' side had ended a five-match winless league run with victory at Derby in midweek, but the Lions paid the price for their sluggish start.
Millwall may have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, with a home tie against Premier League side Brighton to come on Sunday, 17 March, but their form in the Championship has been patchy since the turn of the year.
The south-east Londoners have scored just three goals in their past seven Championship games, and Thompson's strike was their first home league goal of 2019 in what was their fourth outing at The Den.
Alex Neil's Preston, meanwhile, are making a late bid for the play-offs as the Lilywhites recorded their fourth consecutive away league victory - the first time they have achieved that feat in the top two tiers since November 1959.
Millwall manager Neil Harris:
"The second goal was embarrassing. The players didn't do what they were supposed to. We were lacklustre first half - we didn't get out the traps.
"The players got a reminder at half-time about what it means to play for this club. You can't give teams three-goal headstarts in this division. I'll praise them for the second half, but not the first. We were terrible.
"Preston were good today, but it was more that we were really poor. We let ourselves down.
"Hull (on Tuesday) is the third game in six days, so I'll have to think not just about the physical aspect of it, but the disappointing performances of some of the players. I'll certainly take my time in considering my starting 11."
Preston manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"It was one of our best performances, in terms of the first half. I thought we took Millwall apart and we could have scored more than three. The only disappointing thing was second half, we need to show more composure - I thought we tried to turn the ball too much.
"I've been saying for a while we're probably one wide player short and I thought that came home to roost today in terms of wanting to keep pace at the top end, because that was hurting them, but also wanting to keep the full-backs in place on the flanks.
"If you offered me 3-1 beforehand I'd certainly have taken it because this is a tough venue to come and win. Inevitably when you've got something to protect - and you can hear the (Millwall) fans are really demanding of their team, naturally the players are going to respond and react to that.
"We just needed to take a little bit more care, have a bit more incisiveness with the pass, take an extra touch and move the ball."
Line-ups
Millwall
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Archer
- 12Romeo
- 4Hutchinson
- 5Cooper
- 25M WallaceSubstituted forFergusonat 45'minutes
- 7J WallaceBooked at 89mins
- 28LeonardSubstituted forThompsonat 66'minutes
- 6WilliamsBooked at 73mins
- 44Marshall
- 19ElliottSubstituted forMorisonat 45'minutes
- 9Gregory
Substitutes
- 8Thompson
- 10Onyedinma
- 11Ferguson
- 15Pearce
- 16Martin
- 20Morison
- 22O'Brien
Preston
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Rudd
- 5Clarke
- 14Storey
- 6Davies
- 16Hughes
- 4PearsonBooked at 85mins
- 29BarkhuizenSubstituted forJohnsonat 76'minutes
- 8Browne
- 44PottsSubstituted forLedsonat 90+2'minutes
- 12GallagherSubstituted forNmechaat 72'minutes
- 24Maguire
Substitutes
- 3Earl
- 11Johnson
- 13Crowe
- 15Rafferty
- 18Ledson
- 20Stockley
- 45Nmecha
- Referee:
- Steve Martin
- Attendance:
- 13,265
Match Stats
Home TeamMillwallAway TeamPreston
- Possession
- Home49%
- Away51%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Preston North End 3.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jed Wallace (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Shane Ferguson.
Post update
Foul by Daniel Johnson (Preston North End).
Post update
Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Lee Gregory (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jake Cooper with a headed pass.
Post update
Offside, Preston North End. Declan Rudd tries a through ball, but Sean Maguire is caught offside.
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Declan Rudd (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).
Substitution
Substitution, Preston North End. Ryan Ledson replaces Brad Potts.
Post update
Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End).
Post update
Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Jed Wallace (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Alan Browne (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Jed Wallace (Millwall).
Post update
Attempt missed. Ben Marshall (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Booking
Ben Pearson (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Lukas Nmecha (Preston North End).
Post update
Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lee Gregory (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.
