In this midweek Championship match on 14th March 2023, Preston North End beat Rotherham United 2-1 in an intensely riveting contest. Despite playing away at Rotherham's ground, Preston demonstrated good control and took an early lead in the first half at 22:54. Rotherham, however, did not lie low and managed to pull one back around the 35-minute mark, equalizing the score. Preston, not willing to settle for a tie, scored a second goal before the end of the first half at 46:16, regaining their lead.

A striking part of this match was the yellow card count; both teams received two yellow cards each. It's worth noting the timing of these cards, as Rotherham received both of theirs in the first half, at 28:20 and 41:58 respectively. This could suggest there was considerable pressure on the home team early in the match, contributing to their performance lapses. Preston, on the other hand, received their yellow cards in the second half, at 01:29:51 and 01:33:54, indicating a more disciplined performance in the first half.

Delving further into the statistical observations, Preston won the corner kick battle with a total of 5 corner kicks, compared to Rotherham’s 3. This indicates a more aggressive posture from Preston, leading to more opportunities created. Interestingly, despite the loss, Rotherham managed to remain disciplined and avoid any offside calls throughout the match while Preston North End recoded one offside.

However, the key factor influencing the outcome of the match was arguably the better utilization of chances by Preston North End. Scoring twice in the first half allowed them to maintain an advantage over Rotherham United despite the equalising goal from the home team.

In conclusion, while both teams exhibited close performance characteristics as shown by card counts and a relatively close number of corner kicks, Preston North End's effectiveness in front of goal made the difference in this clash. This analysis pinpoints what football bettors should note: the importance of assessing a team’s efficiency in utilizing goal-scoring opportunities in addition to their discipline and possession-based metrics.

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