So no wonder the Nob Enders in the DE were so cock a hoop after such an unremarkable performance. I've just read that that is the first league double over Rovers by PNE in exactly 40 years! Not all that surprising I suppose as we spent most of that time in a higher division but more grist to Preston's mill is that they have just gone 10 matches unbeaten with a 100% record in their last half dozen away games. Something that was only achieved in the past when Sir Tom Finney was still playing for them! (I must say Tom would likely still have got in todays PNE X1 at 96 if he hadn't sadly passed away 5 years ago.
I'd better stop now for fear of sounding churlish but I maintain if when he missed out on Charlston's Patrick Bauer Mowbray had not targeted countless midfielders but instead spent his wedge on the entire PNE back four I'm pretty sure that we'd be in a play off position now instead of looking over our shoulder at the bottom three. Here are the stats according to Sky Sports.....
possession 57 / 44
Shots 20 / 6
Passes 244 / 201
Crosses 11 / 2
Corners 8 / 5
Time after time the final ball into the mixer if it wasn't too long was met by a PNE head or boot instead of a Rovers player and when it did fall to a Rover the final touch was poor. Preston's time wasting which began as soon as they'd scored the only goal, another sucker punch from their first attack (... how their strikers must wish they could play against our defence every week!) after just 8 mins! Why Referee Oliver Langford allowed PNE to take the piss out of him and the spectators for so long I've no idea. Weakly pointing to his watch whilst they were writhing on the ground or delaying a free kick is just pointless. Sure extra time can be added on but the deliberate disruption in play and momentum is rarely punished enough when a couple of yellow cards would be enough to kill the practice stone dead.
Fair play to Preston fans who came in numbers and filled the Darwen End Upper and Lower and sang their hearts out for their boys. God only knows how they still have any fans left mind given their lack of success of any sort since the century began with an '18' and save for a solitary FA Cup win just as Hitler was preparing to invade the Sudetenland in the run up to WW2. Even perennial Lanky minnows Blackpool and Wigan can top that feat! For some reason North end regard us as their prime rivals and are reluctant to accept that our traditional enemy No1 comes from the town 10 miles to the east of our boundary... not 10 miles west (or south for that matter).
Raya.... 6 Not really much to do but it appears Mowbrays harsh and public criticism of his recent bloopers was built on feet of clay.
Nyambe... 6. Plenty of effort and his pace came to our rescue on a number of occasions but still like a rabbit trapped in headlights most of the time, and still with the annoying habit of turning his 5ft 11 in frame into a 5ft 6" one every time he challenges for a high ball.
Mulgrew.. 7 Won a lot of headers in defence and was always a threat from dead ball situations before he, worryingly with Wigan up next on Tuesday night had to limp off on 72 minutes.
Williams ... 4 I can't praise him enough..... in fact I can't praise him at all! Dreadful error led to their winning goal when he elected to force his winger down the line given that he is one of the slowest full backs that I can ever remember in a Blue and White shirt and that a pint of milk will turn quicker on a cold day! Exactly the same error which gifted goals at Deepdale and
Wigan. Just about every clearance and pass out in that 1st half went to a PNE player. If he is still at Ewood Park next season then there's a chance that I might not be!
Reed... 6 Not his usual self today. No idea why really and no excuse if this is the case but it might be that he doesn't see himself playing here next season. Perhaps the fact that he came with the intention of playing central midfield and now finds himself Mowbray's 4th(?) choice for that position might be dulling his spirit. Who knows but if he feels bad about it then he needs to spare a thought for Joe Rothwell.
Smallwood... 5 Usual commendable graft but with no attacking threat whatsoever.
Evans.... 5 See above 'Smallwood'.
PNE's winner was scored by a midfielder who did the same last week for them and has done 7 times this season! Evans and Smallwood haven't managed even 1 goal between them! It's not rocket science ... when all those crosses are being knocked down by Danny Graham in the box someone has to be running in to convert them. Exactly what Johnson does and exactly what our central midfield don't do!
Bennett ... 5 Mr Utility can play in any number of positions but note to Mowbray.... he can't bloody well play in them simultaneously! Where Bennett (and Reed) were meant to be playing in the opening 45 is a complete mystery to me. If anyone can enlighten me then please do.
Armstrong... 6 Provided a threat down the wings but all came to nought and capped it off with missing a good opportunity to level with his head in the dying minutes.
Dack.... 6 battled manfully and showed many nice touches and had shots blocked by Preston bodies but the fat lady simply isn't singing for him at the moment.
Graham... 7 Gave as good as he got up top but not well supported by his teammates in midfield. Unlucky to have a goal disallowed in the last quarter of the match for a rather weak push on a defender, the sort of tussle that goes on every week without penalty but whilst there was little power in the push he did use both hands and by doing so made the decision easy for an already rather biased Ref.
Subs
Nuttall...(Reed 63) 5 A rather surprising substitution. Had a presence but not the wherewithal to change the situation.
Bell ... (Mulgrew 72) 6 On for the injured Captain. Did one or two bright things in attack which seems to be beyond Williams capability in this Division.
Rothwell... (Smallwood 72) 5 One or two nice touches and warmly greeted by the crowd but wasn't able to influence the situation.
Mowbray.... 4. Not a clue what he was thinking with that starting line up and I'd have to say one or two of the players didn't appear to either although the football was bright enough and out shone preston on that score but not on goals scored obviously. I'm loathe to say it but there are signs starting to show that TM has taken this squad as far as he can.
Referee Oliver Langford. 3 Angered the crowd no end and seemed more bothered that the players didn't sneak a yard from throw ins than blatant time wasting that was going on though out. Also and I rarely say this but he did appear to favour Preston with a number of decisions.
