Rotherham 0-0 Preston: Millers off the mark with home draw

Rotherham registered their first point of the Sky Bet Championship season after a 0-0 draw with Preston, who remain unbeaten.

Any other result than a stalemate was rarely on the cards as chances were at a premium throughout a 90 minutes that lacked any real quality.

The Millers have yet to find their verve this season, but they will be pleased to keep a clean sheet and break their duck after conceding six goals in their first two games.

The point continues an impressive start to the season for North End, who were promoted last season, as they are yet to concede and have two draws and a win to their name.

They could have had another win, but Bailey Wright's header thumped into the crossbar late on, in the best chance either side had.

After coming into the game on the back of two defeats from their opening two games the Millers were desperate to make an impact, but they struggled for a foothold in the game against an organised Preston side.

North End, who have only scored one goal in three games, were not proving much of a threat at the other end as both sides cancelled each other out.

It was Rotherham who created the only real chance of the first half as Lewis Buxton twisted and turned his way into the Preston box, but his fizzed centre couldn't be turned home by Matt Derbyshire.

It did not take much for there to be an improvement after the break as it opened up and both sides started to carry a goal threat.

Preston striker Will Keane blasted over from 20 yards in the 54th minute when he found himself in space before Rotherham's Joe Newell dragged wide from a similar position soon after.

Both teams had moments of excitement in the penalty area in an end-to-end period, but it was Preston who were the likeliest to snatch a win.

Their best moment came in the 77th minute when Wright found himself unmarked at the far post from a corner but his header thundered into the crossbar.

Neil Kilkenny brought a flying save out of Kelle Roos with a fierce effort from distance and Paul Huntington headed straight at Roos from the resulting corner.

Rotherham somehow held on to move off the bottom of the table and avoided an unwanted record of losing their first three league games of the season for the first time since 1967/68.

Rotherham boss Steve Evans:

"We will take our first point. The first 60 minutes is not a good game for either side, no side had any dominance, both sides just cancelled each other out. But that's a good Preston side out there. We know every point in this league is an achievement."

Preston boss Simon Grayson:

"When you come to a place like this you have to make sure you fight and compete and that's what we did. It's another game for us and another clean sheet."