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Plan B was to have a drink in Burnley then catch the train from Manchester Road station, so we made our way to the Brun Lee pub had a few nice pints of Moorhouse's finest and a breakfast. We then made our way via the Inn on the Wharf for one last pint to the station and caught the train to Preston.
The train was sparsely populated as I think most Clarets were already in Preston as our train didn't get in until 12:30. A few clarets did get on at Accrington and on we rolled to Preston. The train was predictably late but we still had a good 25 mins to make the short journey to Deepdale.
When we came out of the station most of the Preston branch of the British Transport Police told us there was a bus leaving for the ground now, so on we got. I think we must have hit every red light from the train station to the ground so we got there five minutes into the game.
So forgive me if anything of note happened in the early stages as we missed it. Unfortunately even though we hadn't sat down we were there to see the Burnley defence part like the red sea, Tamas Priskin cut inside and slotted the ball pasted Jensen who went down in instalments and the ball crashed into the back of the net just as my backside landed in my seat 1-0 down already great!
All the early pressure came from Preston with shots raining in from Sedgwick, Whaley, Priskin again and then Brown was clean through and should have made it 2-0. Jensen was rooted to the spot with Clarets fans behind the goal screaming for him to come off his line. He did finally move and manage to get a hand to the ball and push it out for a corner. The Clarets were very lucky to be still in the game because a second Preston goal at that point could have seen the house of cards come tumbling down.
Burnley started to settle with Robbie Blake showing some great touches and looking like our only source of a goal and getting back into the game. The travelling Clarets started to find their voice and Blake went close with a great shot which went just over the bar.
There were some full blooded challenges going in with McCann getting fouled and then Alexander getting booked for a late challenge on Whaley.
But then there was hope as on 38 mins Burnley were level at 1-1 when James O'Connor smashed the ball in from the edge of the box and the travelling Burnley fans were out of their seats. Burnley pressed forward but little was created by either side and we went into the break all square.
At halftime I enjoyed my chicken balti pie and went back to the seats we'd occupied in the first half. Not the seats we had tickets for but the only three we could see when we came in late, so back we went.
Steven Caldwell came on at the start of the second period for the very pedestrian looking David Unsworth (who looks like he's no stranger to a balti pie himself) who had been struggling with the pace of the game in the first half.
The pressure started building again from the home side as Burnley went back into their shell and then the inevitable happened and Preston went 2-1 up on 56 minutes. The ball was played into the box and a rugby type scrum ensued with arms and legs flying in all over the place. Burnley seemed to have two or three chances to hack the ball clear, but Brown hit it home and we were looking at our second successive defeat.
Andrew Cole then came on for Kyle Lafferty after 68 minutes although I thought Mr Coyle should have taken off Ade Akinbiyi as he was mainly doing his headless chicken routine up front and Lafferty had shown far greater touch, vision and skill. But who am I to question the ways of our new "Shankly" whose final change was O'Connor off for Gudjonsson who made little impact on the game on 73 minutes.
The game hotted up again as Burnley pressed for an equaliser and Preston looked to put the game beyond doubt, with Sedgwick and Cole both going close. Elliott also looked in great form cutting inside the Preston defence time and again playing some great balls into the danger area. In the few minutes he was on the pitch it was easy to see how we had missed Andrew Cole's class as he looked to pick out passes that could have opened up the game for us.
The ball was played into the box by Blake, Akinbiyi and Preston's keeper Lonergan both went for it and ended up clashing together. It was a full blooded challenge but the Preston keeper seemed to make a lot of it and every time Preston got a goal kick thereafter he did a sponsored walk around that back of his goal.
Apart from a late chance when Blake again put the ball into the box and Akinbiyi failed to get anything on the ball the game was over and we had been out muscled in another Lancashire derby by another one of our local rivals that again seemed to "want it" more.
Right at the death though Uriah Heap (who had been good up to this point) seemed he wanted to put his stamp on the game and booked Blake (dissent) and sent Carlisle off for a late challenge on St Ledger, that through my claret and blue tinted glasses seemed a bit harsh (yellow would have done).
We left Deepdale which when the final stand off to our left is finished will be an impressive stadium next time we visit (we can only hope for a better result) to the sound of "That's entertainment" by the Jam which was surely the biggest joke of the day!
With other results going our way we are still in touching distance of sixth spot and the playoffs, but a much better display is needed next time out against the cup heroes of Barnsley who hopefully will have Wembley on their minds if we are to get back on track.