Millwall defeat leaves Preston fan John Smith wondering whether three-match winning run was a false dawn

Sides managed by Gary Rowett had always proved hard for us to beat in the past.

However, with Millwall having won just one of their nine away league games this season before the game, I was optimistic that we could get at least a point which would keep us in and around the play-off places going into the World Cup mid-season break.

But I was not too surprised that this game ended in defeat as similar to numerous past occasions when we have appeared to be on the verge of doing something big, it usually turns out to be frustratingly just another false dawn.

I personally found watching the contrasting change in the atmosphere inside the stadium from the beginning to the end of this contest to be particularly gut wrenching.

Just after kick off the ground was bouncing and Deepdale really was "white hot" but by the time the final whistle sounded there was no sign of any flag waving inside the more than half empty stadium.

As Danny Dyer would say the first half was "a real tear up" and I certainly felt like tearing out what little hair I have left.

His fellow East Enders raced into a two-goal lead inside the first 15 minutes with what I felt were very poor goals to concede.

On the attacking front though we looked as threatening as we have been all season at Deepdale and it was no surprise when we soon hit back twice to level.

The old fashioned centre forward style of Ched Evans was a joy to watch and his equalising goal came after a great move.

It showed what can be done when you cross the ball into the danger area to make use of a target man and get bodies into your opponents’ box.

We began the second half well going forward but after the Lions roared again to score twice against the run of play we looked like we had been hit by a tranquilising dart and never really looked like scoring again as

The game fizzled out to its disappointing conclusion. I thought that both of Millwall's second half goals could of been defended better and that

Our slack defence is now in need of a jumbo sized spanner to tighten it up if we are to avert a slide back down the Championship table.