Rotherham United 0 PNE 0
North End kept their third consecutive league clean sheet, but had to be happy with a point at the New York Stadium.
The best chances fell to Bailey Wright, whose header came back off the cross bar and Neil Kilkenny, who stung the gloves of Kelle Roos, both in the last ten minutes, but neither side could fashion a goal.
The team was unchanged from the side that was victorious at MK Dons the previous weekend, with Paul Gallagher recovering from the knock that forced him off at stadium:mk.
The first half was full of blood and guts and plenty of effort from both sides without too much goalmouth action.
The best chance for the home side in the first 45 minutes coming in the 13th minute as Lewis Buxton won a battle on right and drilled the ball across the box to the back post where Matt Derbyshire volleyed back across goal, but wide of the right hand post.
There was plenty of bluster, but very little in terms of threat on either Kelle Roos or Jordan Pickford’s goal.
The Lilywhites were again playing on the break and with 11 minutes before half-time Dabiel Johnson and Joe Garner moved forward with pace and the former was clattered from behind by Millers skipper Halford who received a yellow card for his troubles.
North End started the second half brightly and with only four minutes gone a Tom Clarke ball into the box found Garner’s header beating ’keeper Roos to the ball and sending it goalwards, but there was very little power on the ball giving Buxton, who had read the situation well, time to go back and control the ball a yard from the line of the empty goal.
Joe Garner had been winning headers all night and Will Keane latched onto the best of them on 54 minutes and raced forward before unleashing a shot from 25 yards that flew just a yard over the bar with Roos scrambling.
With 13 minutes left Daniel Johnson latched onto a loose ball in the box and danced into some space before winning a corner. Paul Gallagher delivered to a back post run from Bailey Wright, but his flashing header came back off the bar and John Welsh’s acrobatic effort to get the ball back in the dangerzone ended in the arms of Roos.
Neil Kilkenny, a second half substitute forced an excellent diving stop from Roos with six minutes left. Huntington then met Gallagher’s corner, but his downward header was straight at the Rotherham No.1.
Despite some late pressure from the home side with long throws and free kicks thrown into the box, Jordan Pickford was never tested and the game ended goalless for the second consecutive time in the league at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Rotherham United line-up: Roos, Buxton, Mattock (Green, 71), Collins, Maguire (White, 56), Frecklington, Halford (c), Bowery (Clarke-Harris, 56), Newell, Derbyshire, Smallwood. Subs not used: Collin, Ledesma, Ward, Thorpe.
PNE line-up: Pickford, Humphrey (Vermijl, 71), Cunningham, Clarke (c), Wright, Huntington, Welsh (Browne, 90), Johnson, Gallagher, Garner, Keane (Kilkenny, 71). Subs not used: Kirkland, Woods, Reid, Brownhill.
Attendance:9,078 (1,040 away fans)
Referee: Mr D Coote