Preston North End 2-4 Millwall - PNE end with a whimper as they go down in defeat in final game before the World Cup

PNE managed to drag themselves back from being two goals down only to let the opportunity to win the game slip, in the end crumbling to a heavy loss. Zian Flemming scored twice in the first half to have the London side in the lead before goals from Alan Browne and Ched Evans got the home side level before the break. Flemming completed his hat-trick in the second half with defender Charlie Cresswell finishing off the scoring and the game with 20 mintues still to go.

Ryan Lowe made just one change for the game, after his side beat Reading 2-1 last time out, with Ali McCann coming into the side in place of Daniel Johnson.

But his side were behind quickly, conceding after just four minutes. Flemming collected a cross from the right, rolled Brad Potts inside the area and fired the ball into the bottom left corner beyond Freddie Woodman.

PNE had their first chance of the game after 11 minutes as Potts' cross from the right was met by Evans but his header was straight at George Long in the Lions' goal.

Five minutes later, Millwall doubled their advantage. Again it was Flemming scoring but this time from a set piece. Tom Bradshaw was brought down on the edge of the box by Liam Lindsay, with the Dutchman Flemming standing over the dead ball. He drilled it low through the wall and into the middle of the net, with Woodman unsighted.

The home side had it all to do at Deepdale but the mood around PR1 changed little despite the Lions going two up with their first two shots of the game, Lowe's side still playing well despite their setbacks.

It was roles reversed too when Browne was brought down on the edge of the box, with North End having a mirrored chance from where Flemming had extended the away side's lead after 16 minutes.

Robbie Brady took it and found only the wall, but had more success from his corner. His inswinging delivery was met at the far post by Browne who bundled the ball towards goal getting his side back into the game after 20 minutes.

PNE kept pushing and it took only eight minutes for them to find parity, Evans this time finding the net. Brady's arching delivery from the left wing was met by the no.9 who nodded the ball back in the direction it came from to find the far corner, making it 2-2 on the day and three goals in two for the Welshman.

Evans nearly made it three on 40 minutes, his header from Browne's cross from deep narrowly going wide of the post.

Evans had another good chance to start the second half as Browne won possession in midfield and set Emil Riis away. The Dane cut back inside at the edge of the box and rolled it into the path of Evans but his low effort again went marginally past the post, another opportunity gone begging, this time on 49 minutes.

A minute later, it was McCann's turn. He picked the ball up and carried it to the edge of the Lions' box unopposed where his side-footed strike was deflected away by the legs of Long.

Lowe's men kept creating chances to try and find the goal that would put them into the lead, Evans this time after 55 minutes getting on the end of his own flick on and aiming beyond the far post as he entered the box, another chance gone begging.

And after all of PNE's chances, it was Millwall that found the net. Danny McNamara was set away down the right wing after visitors had switched to a 3-5-2 and his low cross beat everyone in the North End area. Andrew Hughes slide beyond the ball only able to watch it roll behind him, Lindsay was caught wrong-footed by the cut back and a lunging Jordan Storey was taken out of the equation as Flemming showed a calm head as he shifted it beyond the defender.

It left him only Woodman to beat from six yards out to secure his hat-trick after 64 minutes, which he did.

The Lilywhites couldn't respond to the sucker punch and they fell even further behind on 72 minutes. A corner delivered from the left side was flicked on at the near post for Cresswell to crash home at the far post, effectively killing the game off as the mood at Deepdale had started to get flatter.

Riis and Ben Woodburn, on from the bench, had efforts at goal with around 10 minutes to go, though neither tested the 'keeper.

The game petered out towards the end, with an almost empty Deepdale watching Oli Langford blow the full time whistle.

PNE Starting XI: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes (Johnson, 77'), Potts, Ledson, McCann, Browne (Woodburn, 66'), Brady (Fernandez, 66'), Evans (Maguire, 77'), Riis.PNE Susb: Cornell, Diaby, Cunningham.Millwall Starting XI: Long, McNamara, Cresswell, Cooper, Wallace, Mitchell, Saville (Shackleton, 84'), Honeyman (Malone, 52'), Flemming (Burey, 88'), Voglsammer (Styles, 84'), Bradshaw (Bennett, 88').Millwall Subs: Bialkowski, Evans.

Attendance: 15,184 (662 away)