Match Preview: Millwall (H)

20 October 2023

Preston North End are back at Deepdale this Saturday after three weeks away to welcome Millwall for a lunchtime kick-off in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Match Details

Date: Saturday 21^st October, 12.30pm kick-off
Venue: Deepdale
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Kit: Home kit

Supporter Information

Tickets for this match will be on sale right up until kick-off from the ticket office at Deepdale in person and by calling 0344 856 1966, while you can also buy online from www.mypne.com.

PNE fans can also visit The Gentry Bar before and after the match on Saturday, with doors opening at 10am, and full timings will be confirmed in the Matchday Information article, to be published on Friday.

The visit of Millwall is also the club’s dedicated Kick It Out matchday, with Preston North End Community and Education Trust inviting a number of local groups to Deepdale to mark the day.

Supporters can use the matchday shuttle bus for this fixture, with return tickets priced at £6 on-board and timings can be found below:

Leyland Tesco (Stop A – Car Park) – 10.50am
The Railway Pub, Leyland – 11am
Ye Olde Hob Inn, Bamber Bridge – 11.05am
Beam and Brycg Pub, Bamber Bridge – 11.10am
Arrive at Deepdale, Lowthorpe Road – 11.30am

Pre-Match Chat

Hear from manager Ryan Lowe as he provides an injury update and previews his side’s clash with the Lions.

Who’s Available?

For the first time in seven months, striker Ched Evans is back in contention to feature after recovering from a potentially life-changing medical condition.

There will be a number of players missing, though, with Ali McCann and Jack Whatmough sidelined through calf and hamstring injuries respectively, while Andrew Hughes (calf) is also expected to miss out.

Long-term absentee Emil Riis has suffered a setback which may prolong his rehabilitation for another few weeks, but there’s better new for Calvin Ramsay who is set to return to PNE from parent club Liverpool on Monday.

Opposition Focus

After four years in charge at the Den, manager Gary Rowett parted company with the club by mutual consent on Wednesday evening, with the Lions currently sat 15^th in the Sky Bet Championship.

During his reign, Millwall consistently pushed for a place in the division’s top six, however fell just short, and they’ll be hoping to make it into the Play-Offs under Rowett’s successor.

For the time being, Adam Barrett has been placed in caretaker charge, with Paul Robinson assisting, and they may look to change things up for the trip to Deepdale.

A Recent Clash

North End’s last home victory over Millwall came in December 2018, courtesy of goals from Alan Browne, Tom Barkhuizen and Andrew Hughes.

Follow The Action

Saturday’s match has been selected for Sky Sports coverage and will also be shown on several international TV stations around the world.

Due to the TV selection, this match will be unavailable to watch live on iFollow PNE in the majority of regions around the world, however live commentary is available worldwide. Click here to subscribe.

You can also find extensive coverage before, during, and after the match on our social media channels and here on the club website.

Match Officials

Referee: Matthew Donohue
Assistant Referees: Matthew Jones and Sam Lewis
Fourth Official: Daniel Middleton

Matthew Donohue will take charge of a PNE match for the second time this season on Saturday, after previously refereeing North End’s 2-0 victory against Stoke City in September.

Donohue has shown 39 yellow cards during nine matches so far this term.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 1 Millwall 1

21 October 2023

Preston North End were held to a 1-1 draw at Deepdale against Millwall as Mads Frøkjær saw his early goal cancelled out.

The Dane put North End in front just three minutes into the televised clash against the Lions, finishing smartly from the edge of the area.

Zian Flemming drew level for his side, however, on the half-hour mark and that was to prove enough to ensure the points were shared.

Three changes were made from the final game before the international break, as Ben Whiteman, Duane Holmes and Jordan Storey came into the side, while there was a place on the bench for Ched Evans – seven months on from his previous appearance.

North End could have gone ahead even before Frøkjær’s opener, as Holmes broke towards the edge of the area and sent a strike just a matter of inches wide.

PNE would soon have an advantage, though, as Jordan Storey went on a marauding run before finding a back-to-goal Will Keane, who laid the ball off for Frøkjær to curl an effort into the bottom corner.

The home side were enjoying themselves, but almost got caught out on the counter as the Lions broke in numbers and Brooke Norton-Cuffy saw a deflected effort superbly tipped onto the bar by Freddie Woodman.

At the other end, the lively Holmes was again involved as space just seemed to open up for the midfielder, whose effort was parried away by Bartosz Białkowski in goal.

Shortly after Robbie Brady came agonisingly close to connecting with Brad Potts’ cross, the visitors went ahead on the half-hour mark as Flemming received the ball 20 yards out and turned to curl an effort past Woodman and into the top corner.

Millwall then enjoyed a decent spell of pressure, which North End had to stand up to, and the sides went into the break level.

The London outfit might have put themselves ahead just two minutes into the second half as the ball fell in a decent area for midfielder Allan Campbell, whose tame effort was saved by Woodman.

It looked like PNE’s most likely route to a goal could be from a set piece, with Whiteman sending a few inviting deliveries into the area, but nothing was quite coming off.

The biggest cheer of the whole day came in the 73^rd minute as Evans – returning after recovering from a serious threat of paralysis – came onto the pitch for his first appearance since March.

PNE had a big shout for a penalty in the 85^th minute as another Whiteman free-kick appeared to be handled in the box by Norton-Cuffy, but appeals were waved away.

Whiteman was again involved two minutes from time as he sent a decent ball into the area for Evans, who flicked a header just wide in the final chance of note for either side.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham; Potts, Whiteman, Ledson (Browne, 73), Brady (Millar, 63); Holmes (Osmajić, 63), Frøkjær (Woodburn, 84); Keane (Evans, 73). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Stewart, Best.

Millwall line-up: Białkowski; Harding, Cooper, Wallace; Norton-Cuffy, Campbell (Mitchell, 82), De Norre, Bryan; Flemming, Emakhu (Longman, 69); Bradshaw. Subs not used: Trueman, McNamara, Saville, Esse, Leahy, Honeyman, Adom-Malaki.

Attendance: 14,427 (698 Millwall fans).

Referee: Mr M Donohue.

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