Alex Neil happy with Preston North End's display against QPR but frustrated they didn't make chances count

The Lilywhites shared a goalless draw with QPR at Deepdale, both sides having chances to break the deadlock in an entertaining game - especially the first half.

Neil said: "I thought we got back to the level of performance we had shown against Blackburn and Watford.

"We were very aggressive, very offensive, we basically left four players up the pitch and we just lacked that little bit of quality which I think we do possess but we didn't make it count.

"The front lads had a lot of opportunities, certainly in the first half.

"Anthony Gordon had a good header, he had one when he cut in and checked back on to his left foot.

"To be honest there were that many chances in the first half that I lost count, we got into so many good areas and ended up one-for-one on quite a few occasions.

"I wanted the front lads to stay up the front end of the pitch to make sure we carried a threat, while we defended with a back four and two centre midfield players.

"We got the balance right, I thought we moved the ball well at times.

"As the game wore on, QPR sat deeper and deeper and we found it more difficult to make more difficulties.

"Over the piece if any side deserved to win the game, I certainly think it was us."

Neil had a first start to Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg, playing the Dutch teenager at right-back.

In Anthony Gordon, North End had the game's most eye-catching player, the on-loan Everton winger behind much of the attacking play.

Neil said: "We knew that since QPR changed their shape, they were No.1 in this league for crosses, so I wanted to keep the two full-backs in.

"I thought at Cardiff we found it really difficult to create because our most creative players are wide players and it was difficult to get them into the team with a 3-5-2.

"There are instances when we need to get to that formation like we did at Blackburn for example and it worked perfectly.

"Scott Sinclair is our leading scorer, Anthony is a real talent, so I thought we carried a threat going with a 4-3-3.

"If you play two up front people think you are aggressive but we left four up front tonight."

Gordon was substituted 10 minutes from time, that rather a surprise bearing in mind he was the man of the match by some distance.

Neil said: "Anthony Gordon is an excellent talent, he is going to put his game together in terms of understanding how to damage teams - he has certainly got the quality to do that.

"I just thought towards the end he was risking it in areas where it might have left us a little bit vulnerable. He looked really tired at that point.

"I'd asked him if he was okay and he recognised that I was considering changing him and he burst into life for five minutes, so I left him for a bit!

"He's a young lad, he's not played a lot of football, we have to be a bit careful with him."

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