EVERYONE'S allowed a bad day at the office - but two on the bounce has left North End's faithful fearing their side haven't got what it takes to grab a place in the play-offs.

A late winner from Tim Cahill after Preston had scrapped to get back on level terms means North End are now 12th - their lowest league position since November - and with just one win in the last four games.

The boos at the end of the game said it all. Why can't the team which came from behind to beat West Ham away last month and thump West Brom at home this month, grind out results against the likes of Watford and Millwall.

Graham Alexander's third-minute drive from the right was caught easily by Willy Gueret in the Lions' goal, before Paul Ifill shot over North End's goal and Cahill had a goal disallowed for offside.

Richard Cresswell was denied by Gueret after getting into space to head at goal. Time and time again Cresswell was in the space to score, or at least set something up, but he was ignored by his team-mates. His frustration at not scoring more than one in 20-odd games is evident, but he stops trying - and a bit of help from his team-mates wouldn't go amiss.

Sloppy defending let down Preston on the stroke of half-time. Ifill converted Peter Sweeney's cross after beating Claude Davis to the ball. Sweeney should never have got to it had Alexander got rid of a backpass properly.

Ricardo Fuller went wide and David Healy had a shot blocked as Preston frustrated their 12,000 fans inside Deepdale.

Davis pulled things level when he headed into the roof of the net from close range on 70 minutes. It was his second attempt to get the ball over the line, and coupled with two attempts from Healy it made for a real scramble just to pull level.

Cahill converted Andy Roberts' cross for the winner on 77 minutes. Roberts' long ball caught the North End defence struggling to track back. Jonathan Gould failed to take four steps forward to get the ball, giving Cahill the chance to give Millwall all three points.

PRESTON 1 MILLWALL 2

Preston: Gould, Jackson, Davis, Mears, Alexander, O'Neil, Keane, Lewis, Healy, Fuller, Cresswell. Subs: Lonergan, Lucketti, McCormack, Burley, Lynch.

Millwall: Gueret, Roberts, Lawrence, Ward, Ryan, Ifill, Livermore, Elliott, Cahill, Sweeney, Dichio. Subs: Marshall, Harris, Wise, Braniff, McCammon.