Preston North End shared the points with Millwall on a freezing cold Tuesday night. The game didn’t do much to warm the crowd up, with both teams almost resigned to finishing the season in mid-table.
Mihailo Ivanovic had given Millwall the lead after the third soft free-kick that referee Matt Donohue had given The Lions in quick succession. The introduction of Milutin Osmajic at half-time posed immediate problems for Alex Neil’s defence and Emil Riis was able to strike a wonderful effort past Lukas Jensen for the equaliser.
From then on there was only really one team trying to win the game, but Preston could not manage to get the three points against their former manager.
4 changes a bit too many?
After impressive displays against Norwich City and Burnley, it was a surprise that Paul Heckingbottom chose to make four changes to the starting lineup. Liam Lindsay replaced Jayden Meghoma with Andrew Hughes shifting out to left-wing-back. This would have been done to combat the height and physicality of the Millwall side. It We struggled to attack down this side though.
Sam Greenwood was brought in for Mads Frokjaer but the Dane has looked at his best recently, and we could have done with his guile earlier on. We knew Alex Neil would have his Millwall team set up well, Preston fans know he his a good tactician and would often get his away match gameplan spot on.
Riis came in for Osmajic who was then brought on at half time anyway, whilst Ali McCann returned to the team after a two match ban. McCann looked a little rusty with a few misplaced passes and was lucky to stay on the pitch when Ryan Ledson came on.
Stefan Thordarson made way for Ledson, and it was the Icelandic international who would go on to win man of the match. He has displayed his range of passing in recent games and as I have mentioned a few times this season, he loves to drive upfield with the ball. He’s certainly found his feet in English football now.
Riis replicates celebration
In the win over Middlesbrough at the end of January there was discontent among the Preston faithful when Osmajic made way for Riis as North End were chasing for a winner. Riis went on to grab that winner and responded by putting his fingers in his ears as his celebration.
It’s a fairly common celebration in football now, with footballers showing they try to drown out all the talk around them in the stands, papers and elsewhere. But it obviously does have an effect on them hence the reaction. Riis is backed by the fans but it is clear that Osmajic gives the team more overall and Riis is helped when the Montenegrin plays alongside him.
Riis has been at the club since 2020 but his future remains up in the air. Osmajic was quick to pull down the Dane’s arms when he did the same celebration again. Good on Milly for that as we don’t to start seeing a divide between the fans and any player.
Porteous slotted in perfectly
Three games into his Lilywhites career and Ryan Porteous is already looking like an astute loan signing. The club had to act quick after an injury to Jordan Storey and Porteous was able to come in on loan from Watford having already played 25 games for The Hornets this season.
The injury to Jack Whatmough against Wycombe Wanderers in the cup underlined the fact we were right to bring in Porteous, and he has been really impressive already. We needed another right footed player in the back line and having worked under Paul Heckingbottom at Hibernian the manager obviously knew what he was getting.
Porteous has had three tough games to adapt to life at Preston, and the only goal that has been scored in that time was the free-kick from Millwall.
The Scottish international looks strong in the air, comfortable getting forward with the ball, and dangerous in the opposition area from set-pieces too. Early days but perhaps the club should be looking at sorting out a permanent deal in the summer already. He’s certainly a class above Whatmough, and would challenge Storey for a first-team place.
KKH deserves a goal
The form of Kaine Kesler-Hayden reminds me very much of when we had Alvaro Fernandez on loan. It took a couple of months to nail down that first-team place before becoming a fan favourite with those fans desperate for them to find the back of the net.
Fernandez never managed it and Kesler-Hayden has come very close in recent weeks. He was unlucky not to score against Burnley and in the dying embers of the game on Tuesday Will Keane played through a lovely weighted pass for him to run onto.
He chose to hit it first time but it was always curling away from goal. It was one he should have hit with his laces rather than the inside of his boot. He looked disappointed in himself at the end of the game and was consoled by Osmajic.
Hopefully he will get to taste the feeling of scoring at North End, but his chances won’t be helped by the deteriorating state of the Deepdale pitch.