If Preston are to end their chronic play-off hoodoo, they’ve found the right men in Simon Grayson and Joe Garner.

The latter scored a spectacular volley after the break to keep the Lancastrians in their League One semi-final against Rotherham after Alex Revell had put the visitors ahead. His three-touch combination of chest, flick and shot was worthy of the Championship or higher.

‘If that graced the Premier League they’d be talking about goal of the season,’ the manager beamed. ‘You can’t ask anymore of Joe – he’s been fantastic all season.’

Grayson, appointed last summer, knows all about the division having already won promotion with three different clubs. Such is their record away from home, Preston may go into Thursday’s second leg as favourites.

It has felt like a long road back to this point since relegation from the second tier three years ago. Supporters have suffered bitter disappointment with Phil Brown, gross incompetence under Graham Westley and serious financial woe.

What Grayson has is his squad fighting for this city. Whether they reach Wembley or not seems immaterial right now – here is a club that has revived its identity, one no longer shrouded in disaffection.

And you could tell how much it meant. This was their biggest match for seasons and it initially showed. Deepdale was a nervous, cagey place to be inside.

Rotherham sensed that, sharper from the off and took the lead midway through the first half. Central defender Jack King was pulled out of position on the right, had his pocket picked by Alex Revell and the Millers were ahead in a flash; the striker darted towards Declan Rudd and calmly slid underneath the goalkeeper.

All very cool, but not matched by the impressive travelling contingent, who went absolutely delirious. Quite right too – they have been the surprise package this year and are loving every minute. Steve Evans has cajoled the maximum out of the group and added a smattering of shrewd loan signings.

‘We didn’t give our supporters anything to cheer about,’ Grayson said. ‘We allowed the opposition to dictate.’

Then it all changed in an instant. An innocuous ball forward was picked up by Garner with nothing on. He chested the ball down, delicately lobbed the ball over a converging defender before launching a stunning 25-yard volley arching over Adam Collin to level up in breathtaking fashion. Garner didn’t even look.

Evans’ assessment was short and to the point. ‘If there’s a better goal in the play-offs I’ll wake up a chicken.’

He might have hopped over to Yorkshire clucking had they taken their second half chances.

Lee Frecklington was brilliantly thwarted by Rudd after storming clear and Haris Vuckic came perilously close in stoppage time, but Grayson had earned his corn by rallying the hosts at half-time to, at the very least, keep an engaging tie very much alive.

‘I told them not to play kamikaze football or we’d leave ourselves too much to do in the second leg. It’s game on.’

—Daily Mail