Preston North End picked up a comfortable win on Good Friday as they pushed Rotherham United closer to relegation with a 3-0 victory at Deepdale.
Three first half goals were enough for Ryan Lowe’s side as The Millers failed to put up any sort of fight, with their players and fans already resigned to yet another return to League one.
Preston played well in the first ten minutes despite a torrential downpour; goals from Emil Riis and Duane Holmes allowed Preston to let off the throttle in the second half and even rest a few players ahead of Monday’s trip to Birmingham.
Rotherham has only won three games this season, and none of those victories have occurred in 2024. On paper, this game appeared to be easy for Preston to win, but things are rarely that simple. The Lilywhites were missing a number of players, including Brad Potts, Liam Millar, and Ben Whiteman, so it could have been difficult. Duane Holmes was starting as a right wing-back alongside Robbie Brady, who had spent the majority of the previous two games with the Republic of Ireland. Alan Browne and Emil Riis also made their way back to the team after missing the previous game against Plymouth Argyle. Brady and Holmes combined for the first goal, and then the floodgates
If only Riis had been fit all season
Since returning to the team around the turn of the year, Riis has been instrumental in the club’s run of just one defeat in 10 games. We’ve picked up 21 points in that time, and Riis has scored six in his last seven
After being found well on the edge of the box by Mads Frokjaer, he produced a characteristically strong attempt in his first on Friday. After some excellent work on the right by Will Keane and Holmes, he scored his second, and a swift spin and shot left Rotherham with little chance.
The Dane and Keane’s collaboration is thriving and has produced great results thus far. Keane was performing admirably at the beginning of the season, but he was a lone striker. He’s a lot more effective in two, and we may have advanced further in the standings if Emil Riis had been healthy throughout the year.
A welcome return for Holmes
It was Duane Holmes’ first start since he was substituted off during halftime of the match against Bristol City on January 13. Preston’s play really took off at that point, and the American has struggled to regain his spot in the starting lineup since suffering an injury at the same time.
Holmes was given a chance to play as a wing-back because Browne moved inside to replace Ryan Ledson and Potts and Millar were absent as possibilities on the right side. The 29-year-old could focus on entering the latter third of the pitch since Rotherham posed little to no danger offensively.
He was making some excellent runs as usual, and when Brady’s work found him at the back post, he was in the ideal position
Need to punish another relegation threatened team on Monday
Preston has eight games left in the current campaign. Once more, they have a remote chance of making it into the postseason. After some awful form over November and December, the season appeared to be almost finished.
However, Ryan Lowe has energised the team at the ideal moment, just as he did last season. Preston is five points behind sixth-place Norwich City as we enter the latter stretch of the season. Although they play Southampton, North End also has a game on their schedule.
The final two matches of the season are against West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City, and we also have a match at Deepdale in two weeks against The Canaries.
Hard fixtures, thus we must fabricate the alternative
They have lost six of their past seven games and are currently barely one goal above the relegation zone on goal differential. Tony Mowbray has resigned from his managing position due to health concerns, and Gary Rowett has taken over. Although Rowett has a great record versus Preston, he has a difficult task. Like they did against Rotherham, North End should try to control the game.
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