By Adam Lanigan at Deepdale
ON-loan West Brom striker Kenneth Zohore marked his first Millwall start with the opening goal as his new side took the absence of manager Gary Rowett and his coaching staff in their stride at Deepdale on Wednesday night.
Jed Wallace added a late second from the penalty spot and if this is a sign of how his players respond to the enforced absence of Rowett and his backroom team, the Lions boss might want to stay at home more often.
The opening goal came via a stunningly efficient 54th-minute counter-attack after Mahlon Romeo broke up a Preston move and sent three of his team mates racing upfield.
Mason Bennett opted for the correct pass, slipping in Jed Wallace and he beat the defender before crossing for Zohore to convert clinically in front of a gaping goal from six yards.
It was the sort of instinctive finishing that Rowett hoped he was signing when he picked up the Danish striker on loan from the Baggies earlier this month.
And it was a magnificent response from Rowett’s players, given their off-field problems in the build-up to the match.
The coaches watching from home would have been even more pleased eight minutes from time when the impressive Wallace wrapped up the three points from the spot, sending goalkeeper Declan Rudd the wrong way after namesake Murray had been tripped by home substitute Tom Barkhuizen.
With Rowett having tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday, and two senior members of his coaching staff suffering the same fate, under-23 manager Kevin Nugent took charge, with veteran defender Alex Pearce and player-coach Shaun Williams pulling out of the squad to assist him.
Zohore limped out of the action, holding his calf, shortly after his goal but it was a rare lowpoint on a night that keeps Millwall firmly in the early-season mix for the play-off places. This win sent them fourth in the Championship. level on points with second-place Bristol City.
It was a first half from which Millwall’s management – whether inside the ground or isolating away from Deepdale – could take reasonable satisfaction, even if it was not one for the neutrals.
Not until the 38th minute was either keeper forced into meaningful action and it was Preston’s Rudd who was the man under pressure.
A patient and disciplined build-up from Millwall, featuring Romeo probing down the right, ended with Ryan Woods playing a short pass to Bennett.
The former Derby man had the confidence and speed of thought to unleash an impressive 25-yard shot and Rudd was required to tip it over his crossbar to maintain the stalemate.
The only other on-target effort of the first period also featured Rudd being required to make a far more routine save, this from Jed Wallace from the corner of the Preston box, after good work from Bennett.
It was hardly the busiest half of football the Preston keeper will ever have endured but, compared to Millwall’s Bart Bialkowski, it was borderline chaos.
The Polish keeper collected a promising early cross from Joe Rafferty and Brad Potts’ free-kick was blocked by Woods but North End, who have surprisingly been struggling for form at Deepdale this season, offered few moments of concern for the visitors.
Instead, it was the away side who looked by far the livelier team with Zohore’s spin and shot being deflected behind by big home defender Patrick Bauer as Millwall started well.
Preston, finally, looked more attack-minded straight after the interval with Ryan Ledson setting up Daniel Johnson for a 20-yard shot that was deflected behind by Murray Wallace.
But Millwall were quickly back where they left off in the first half with Zohore heading wide from Scott Malone’s cross then making no mistake as he shot his team into a 54th-minute lead.
They might have doubled their advantage just two minutes later when Murray Wallace sprinted down the left and crossed for Zahore who headed down for Malone who volleyed wide, under pressure, from eight yards.
Bialkowski’s concentration was finally tested after 68 minutes when substitute Barkhuizen was played in on goal by Johnson but he was denied by a brave point-blank save by the Millwall keeper.
Barkhuizen added more energy and directness to Preston’s attack and it took a magnificently-timed Shaun Hutchinson challenge to stop him in his tracks as he launched another threatening attack, but Millwall were able to manage the remainder of the game expertly.
Image: Millwall FC