Preston North End beat Millwall 2-1 in a match that twisted sharply in its final quarter, having spent much of the afternoon appearing to drift towards a draw neither side had fully earned.
Millwall took the lead through Ryan Leonard on 29 minutes, a goal that gave the visitors a foothold they largely maintained until the hour mark. Leonard doubled the advantage on 57 minutes, and at that point Millwall looked capable of seeing the game out with reasonable comfort.
Preston's response came through substitutions and a shift in tempo. Alfie Devine arrived on 75 minutes and began to press higher, and Andrew Hughes pulled one back three minutes later. The momentum had turned.
Casper De Norre reduced the deficit to one on 80 minutes, and the game entered its final ten minutes in a different shape entirely. Both sides made late changes, with Milutin Osmajic, Robbie Brady, and Callum Lang all introduced by Preston, and Millwall turning to Mihailo Ivanovic from the bench.
The decisive moment arrived in the 86th minute when Luke Cundle equalised, before completing the turnaround in stoppage time. Michael Smith also converted in the 90th to confirm a remarkable finish. Millwall, who had carried a two-goal lead into the final fifteen minutes, left with nothing.
Preston's comeback owed as much to the work done after the hour as to anything in the opening exchanges. Millwall will find the manner of the defeat difficult to absorb.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
