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Branchy having, according to Stan, done well at Grimsby was somewhat surprisingly left out of the starting line up and was relegated to the bench whereas Mark McGregor didn’t even find a position there and was not in the squad.
Going a goal behind after two or three minutes is now becoming common place away from home and this is the fourth time it has happened this season, and in each of the last three games.
We started poorly in our navy and sky away kit, clearly someone thinks claret and blue clashes with white, and we were being opened up at the back far too easily. The second time proved costly and it was a combination of two of Craig Brown’s signings that did the damage. Eddie Lewis got down the left and Ricardo Fuller came in unmarked to hit home the cross from ten yards.
During the first half we seemed to have one major problem and that was giving the ball away. It wasn’t just one player or a couple but just about everyone. Preston didn’t even need to work hard to get the ball, we just kept giving it to them.
The only consolation was the fact that they didn’t create too many clear cut chances but it was still something of a relief to go in just one down at half time. It was also a relief to go in with a goalkeeper too after Marlon picked up a head injury after a collision with Fuller.
Fuller looked to go in late on Marlon although nothing was given. There was certainly no reaction to it from the Burnley players.
Fortunately the smelling salts worked and he was able to continue and we didn’t have to take a look round to see who would go in goal. There would have also been repercussions for Wednesday and the Spurs match with Michopoulos cup tied. It did though look as though Marlon had recovered.
It is fair to say that the players probably got a blasting from Stan at half time, the first forty-five minutes had been our worst football since Reading and a big improvement was definitely needed. There seemed to be a lethargy about the performance and no urgency whatsoever, we looked like a side who were behind and had accepted defeat.
Half time was pretty eventful too if you chose to visit the concourse area. For some reason the police decided to release what is believed to be tear gas and this caused chaos down there with people falling over each other just to get out of the way. Hopefully the police will be able to give some explanation as to why they took this action.
The early exchanges in the second half didn’t suggest anything was going to change and Preston could have easily gone two up before we turned the game on its head. Suddenly Preston had no answer to our attacking and it came as no real surprise when we levelled just six minutes in.
The scorer was Taylor from a header but great credit to Glen Little and more so Robbie Blake down the right for creating the opening. This was the cue for some so-called Burnley fans to bring disgrace on the club by running onto the pitch with one of them making a bee line for Preston keeper Lucas. It took some time to restore order and allow the game to continue.
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I’m not so sure what Stan had said to them but it was all Burnley now and we came close again before disaster struck and North End scored twice in three minutes just after the hour. The first looked to be another case of bad defending but the second seemed to take a deflection but whatever, having got ourselves back in the game we were now 3-1 down.
From then on we attacked and attacked the Preston goal. Alan Moore replaced Lee Briscoe who had given a nightmare performance at left-back. The problem was we were leaving gaps at the back and Preston were always going to create more chances.
They did, but one way or another they managed to miss them. At the other end it is hard to believe we didn’t score at least one more and Robbie Blake, at times inspirational, should probably have scored twice but saw Lucas save both efforts.
It wasn’t to be and when the final whistle blew it was still 3-1 and for the first time in four encounters Preston took the points.
If we want to progress then we really do have to tighten up defensively, this is the sixth time already this season that we have conceded three or more goals in a game. The goals against total of 32 in 17 games is just not good enough.
Going forward we can look very good and the two best players for me today were Robbie Blake and Ian Moore. Gareth Taylor scored the goal but did not have one of his better games and struggled in the air against Lucketti.
But we are giving so many goals away and so many early in games that we are always chasing the game. Fuller looked a hugely impressive player for Preston today but overall there are not many teams in this division with a better strike force than us but we have to give them a chance.
Just a couple of weeks ago Coxy and Arthur looked almost unbeatable at the back but things are not so secure now. We need to stop leaking goals and give our forwards the chance to win games for us.
Finally the referee George Cain. He could be criticised this evening for missing a number of free kicks, he could certainly be criticised for not sending off Colin Murdock but kept his card in his pocket when he should have been showing him a second yellow. Having said that I would much prefer a referee like Cain who at least looks to try and keep the game going and allow the players to play.
It’s Spurs on Wednesday and Coventry in a week, we need to stop leaking goals and give us a chance as we crack on.
The teams today were;
Preston North End: David Lucas, Graham Alexander, Chris Lucketti, Colin Murdock, Rob Edwards, Paul McKenna, Eric Skora (Mark Rankine 80), Dickson Etuhu, Eddie Lewis (Marlon Broomes 88), Richard Cresswell, Ricardo Fuller (David Healy 90). Subs not used: Tepi Moilanen, Pawel Abbott.
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox (Tony Grant 9), Arthur Gnohere, Lee Briscoe (Alan Moore 68), Ian Moore (Dimitri Papadopoulos 75), Paul Weller, Steve Davis, Glen Little, Robbie Blake, Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Paul Cook, Graham Branch.
Referee: George Cain (Bootle).