Rotherham United picked up another three vital points at Deepdale in the relegation fight.
The win sees Rotherham move out of the relegation zone to 20th after winning consecutive championship games for the first time under Paul Warne.
An own goal and a well-placed strike from Ben Wiles gave Rotherham the win before Ched Evans pulled a goal back in a stressful finish.
Rotherham scored probably the fastest goal of this season after Freddie Ladapo capitalised on an early probing attack. The striker struck the ball towards goal, then Joe Rafferty headed it beyond his keeper. Preston hunted for an equaliser and took control of the half.
A free kick from Ben Whiteman somehow didn’t go in and Rotherham rode their luck but survived with the lead until half time.
Evans was lucky to still be on the pitch after a late challenge on Viktor Johansson put a boot straight in the face of the keeper. Only a yellow, okay.
After the restart Rotherham grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck when Wiles calmly put the ball past his former teammate, Daniel Iversen, and gave the Millers a two-goal cushion. Full debutant Lewis Wing provided the perfect pass to tee up the Rawmarsh lad.
Preston wanted at least a goal in this game to echo the score line at New York earlier in the season. Evans grabbed it after a quick corner and ran straight back to the halfway line to restart. Questions were asked by the Millers back line over a foul on Johansson, but the referee wasn’t interested.
The interest of the ref was tested again in added time after Preston cried for a penalty. No interest and the challenge as soft as a silk sheet.
Two in a row, two league doubles. Weekend delight.
Goals: Rafferty OG, Wiles 55, (Evans 64)
Teams:
Preston: Iversen, L Lindsay, Rafferty (Maguire 80), Hughes, Whiteman, Ledson (Johnson 65), Molumby (Potts 65), Huntington (Van Der Berg 72), Evans, Barkhuizen, Gordan (Sinclair 65)
(Subs not used: Ripley, Cunningham, Gallagher, Jakobsen)
Rotherham: Johansson, Wing, Hirst (Crooks 66), Ladapo (Smith 66), Robertson, J Lindsay (Wiles 13), Harding, Ihiekwe, A MacDonald, Barlaser (Wood 91), Giles (Olosunde 66)
(Subs not used: Vickers, Clarke, S MacDonald, Jozefzoon) Referee: G Ward
The Wandering Yorkshireman 