In a game we really didn't deserve to win, I don't think we deserved to lose it either. We should have been out of sight by half time, but went behind to a wicked deflection that left Patto on his backside before Clarke was pulled over in the box and converted the penalty. We went right off the boil after the break as Preston upped their game, which was hardly a difficult task after their first half showing, and we lost our way. It's hard to believe that only two league games ago, we comprehensively cut PNE to ribbons.
Sunrise on the Northumberland coast, quick blast back to Bish, on the bus and over the damp A66. The Bobbin in Lancaster was a welcome new venue, so we watched most of the England Ladies win before heading into the rain. Near the front again, we feared a soaking but the sun came out in spectacular fashion and we lined up:
Patterson
Hume O'Nien (c) Ballard Cirkin
Neil Ekwah
Roberts Dack Bellingham Clarke
..and a bench of Bishuuurrrp, Hemir, Pritchard, Huggins, Batth, Ba, Bennette, Rigg, Triantis
In our pinky purply away kit, we kicked off away from our 6,000 fans and quickly showed who was boss. Dack was nominally our forward, but it's just not his game and he naturally dropped deeper to create. Roberts was giving their left back a hard time, but with no natural target in the box, laying it to the edge was his only option. In a rare PNE attack, O9 headed over our bar - with the top of his head, judging by the way his eyes spun afterwards. Patto punched the corner away for a throw on their left, which we dealt with.
The home side's game seemed to be built on niggly fouls, but on 15 Roberts was away down the wing again and git it in to Jobe, who should really have had a penk but elected to play it across to the left. Clarke then jinked into to box and almost got along the line but all we got was a corner. There was then a nice one-two between Roberts and Hume but when the cross came in it was headed over. It was all us as far as attacks were going, but when another Roberts run carried him into the box, we had several shots blocked and it seemed as if the goal would never come.
When PNE did get forward on 24 minutes, they hit their first shot and it hit their own man who had the gall to celebrate as if he knew anything about it as it flew in. If it wasn't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all.
We kept doing what we'd been doing, and five minutes later played a right wing corner short to Clarke, he ran into the box and was pulled back. Up he got and struck it low to the keeper's right and just inside the post. No more than we deserved.
We then skied a clearance for a daft corner that needed Patto's fists again, then there was a naughty one in O9 as he tried to carry it away from our box. There were a couple of added minutes, we won another, and we went in a bit disappointed to only be level. Look, I love O9, but he's not our best option at centre half - that player was on the bench. Having said that, Preston hadn't really troubled our back line and Patto"s contribution had been chiefly to punch it and field scary O9 back passes. Oh, and the foul count stood at 13-2.
No changes for the second half, but the smell of fireworks that drifted across the pitch must have been for the rocket the home side's manager put up their collective backsides during the break. Without turning into world-beaters, they were sharper, more competitive, and direct. We, on the other hand, struggled to get it out wide and thus threatened less. Mind, we did get the first shot in when Ekwah's low effort from distance was two feet wide of the keeper's right hand, but also a foot wide of the post.
They won a couple of quick corners that caused chaos in our box on the hour, but we got it away and almost got it into their box, but a loose return pass (can it be a return pass if the intended target is yards from it?) was picked up, Preston broke, and it was 2-1 when they can in from their left.
Still, surely we could find our feet again and replicate our first half showing in the last half hour. Five minutes after the goal, Dack and Bellingham made way for Pritch and Hemir. At least we had another option, to hit the big man in the box. However, when we tried to, he didn't launch himself into a "I'm here and I'm not scared of you" challenge on the centre half.
As we struggled to get ourselves together, they hit a volley wide of Patto's right hand post. We then went sort of three at the back with Hume on the left and Cirkin almost up front, and our extra numbers up the field looked like they might make something of the possession we had - but when we got a shot it, it hit the keeper's knee and flew to safety.
With fifteen to go, Ekwah was replaced by Ba, who doubled up with Roberts and had a couple of good runs. A cross found O9"s head, but it flew a yard wide. Neil shot over, then Ba galloped into the box but into a defender, then a superb ball from Roberts found him again - but the shot, after he cut in, was saved. it was basically 3-1-6 by this stage, and a clever free kick routine win us a corner as five added minutes were announced. Patto was up for it, but they had the box crowded and got it away - and that was it.
A game of two halves and a disappointing showing overall despite bright stuff from Roberts and Clarke - however, there's little point them supplying the bullets if there's nobody there to pull the trigger. Hemir, despite the promise shown in pre-season, didn't look like he fancied a physical battle, which is poor considering his size, and Dack, while a good player, needs a genuine front man to help and be helped by.
Man of the Match? Roberts.
