The goal, the booking, the likely ban and the Millers looking more like it ... the story of Rotherham United 1 Preston North End 1

It was nothing like the wave of applause coming the other way for the striker as he trudged from the turf.

A packed AESSEAL New York rose in recognition of his contribution, his efforts, his goal. That goal.

Well, three sides of New York anyway. There was vociferous booing in the away end, and the player will have enjoyed that as much as he did the rousing reception from home supporters.

Hugill, of course, used to be Preston North End's centre-forward. And he is making a habit of scoring for Rotherham against his old sides.

Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, now this … only this was special.

First he chased down Liam Lindsay by the touchline and outmuscled him to win the ball; we've seen that kind of thing often. Then he skipped beyond Jordan Storey and headed for goal; we've seen that kind of thing sometimes. Then he looked up and curled an exquisite 20-yard shot into the far corner; we've not seen that before at all.

Manager Matt Taylor agreed it was a Goal-of-the-Season contender. "Yeah, and a surprise one - you wouldn't expect that from him," he said.

After two supine performances in away defeats, this was more like it from the Millers. Hugill let unbeaten Preston know they were in a game and so did his teammates. There's some irony that the result dropped Taylor's men two places in the table to 23rd yet reinvigorated them for the challenge ahead.

When hostilities had ceased and the pitch was emptying, Storey took it on himself to have a pop at the scorer.

After ruffling feathers all afternoon, Hugill was still at it after the final whistle.

THE MATCH

Viktor Johansson dived full stretch to palm away Ryan Ledson's goalbound shot, he was up like lightning to spread himself and thwart Milutin Osmajic on the follow-up.

The 74th-minute intervention of the goalkeeper, who had kept out a Osmajic header before the break, was crucial to Rotherham's cause but, in truth, it was the only time he was really troubled in a second half during which he stood behind a back three for which the term, 'makeshift', was invented.

The Millers, already without seven first-teamers, lost centre-half Cameron Humphreys to a hamstring injury at half-time and were forced into a change of shape.

With respect to Tyler Blackett, a central defender of genuine quality, him with full-backs Dexter Lembikisa to and Cohen Bramall either side of him wasn't the rearguard any Millers followers wanted to see.

"Not really did I envisage having Cohen and Dexter as the outside centre-halves at any stage this season," Taylor said.

"But it was needs must and actually their legs got us out of trouble every now and then.

"Tyle had his best game for us today, not so much in terms of his running but in his physicality. That's something I've been asking him for more of in the last couple of games."

Preston, who had arrived in South Yorkshire in top spot, are this season's Luton Town: organised, slick, hard-working, difficult to play against, more than the sum of their parts.

Rotherham began unspectacularly against them, and that was just what Taylor wanted after the travails at Huddersfield Town and Millwall.

"The start was important," he said. "It might not have been pretty for the first 15/20 minutes but it was solid. That's something I've been after for a long time. Then we grew into the game."

The Millers struck in the 35th minute; ten minutes later, Lindsay atoned for his Hugill mugging by heading home close in from a corner.

Johansson's route to the ball had been impeded by Ledson and Taylor's subsequent complaint to the officials is part of the reason the boss is now preparing to watch next Saturday's match at Cardiff City from the stand.

New York warmed to what it was witnessing after the break as every Miller put in a shift. Christ Tiehi was everywhere; so was Ollie Rathbone; Blackett was like a dad directing two eager kids; Hugill kept smashing defenders, reassuringly in control of how out of control he seemed.

Blackett repelled Preston's last thrust by turning a cross wide with the help of a post and by the end Preston, following six straight league victories, were happy with their point.

"It was a good game of football," Taylor said. "Things seemed to go against us again at certain moments, but the character, spirit and will were certainly there in abundance.

"I felt we got in some really good delivery positions but never really beat the first man to put their central defenders under pressure under their crossbar.

"We rejigged a few bits at half-time on the back of Cam's injury and went toe to toe with a very good team."

THE YELLOW CARD

"My blood is still boiling now. It's not just me, every manager is saying the same: things are breaking down. The officiating is beyond belief."

Almost half an hour had passed but Taylor hadn't calmed down as he answered questions in the media suite.

His irritation over Preston's goal being given and, soon afterwards, play continuing when Tiehi went down with a head injury had led to his third booking of the season, a fine and a likely touchline ban.

No-one remembers better than him how his side had an effort ruled out against Leicester City last month for Lembikisa being in the way of the Foxes keeper.

"If they've been given as fouls against us in the past, that should be a foul on Viktor today," the boss said. "Their player is making no attempt to win the ball, he's just blocking the keeper's path physically. The lad goes and gets a free run from three yards out.

"Then Christ gets a whack to the head ten yards away from the referee, ten yards away from the fourth official, but they manage to play on. Incredible, absolutely incredible. It's beyond me."

Even Hugill's wonder-goal wasn't bringing him much cheer. "It was a moment of individual quality," was as much as he felt like saying on that one.

There had also been quality in the Millers' attitude and approach, something New York wasn't slow to respect.

Hugill's departure to a standing ovation had come just before the last whistle. A minute later, came a second one. For the entire team.

Rotherham (4-3-3): Viktor Johansson; Dexter Lembikisa, Cameron Humphreys (Sebastian Revan H-T), Tyler Blackett, Cohen Bramall; Ollie Rathbone, Christ Tiehi, Sam Clucas (Sam Nombe 73); Andre Green, Jordan Hugill (Georgie Kelly 90+4), Fred Onyedinma. Subs not used: Arvin Appiah, Dillon Phillips, Tom Eaves, Ciaran McGuckin.

Preston (3-4-2-1): Freddie Woodman; Jordan Storey, Liam Lindsay, Andrew Hughes; Brad Potts, Ali McCann (Ben Whiteman 71), Ryan Ledson (Layton Stewart 88), Robbie Brady (Liam Millar 71); Alan Browne, Duane Holmes (Mads Frokjaer 71); Milutin Osmajic. Subs not used: Dai Cornell, Greg Cunningham, Patrick Bauer, Ben Woodburn, Jack Whatmough.

Goals: Hugill 35 (Rotherham); Lindsay 45 (Preston).

Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 11,434 (2,419).