Dave Seddon's match verdict: Preston North End 2 Birmingham City 0 - close but no cigar as the play-offs prove beyond reach again

In the games either side of the lockdown Preston North End couldn’t buy a victory yet clung on to a top-six place.
Brad Potts is congratulated by Ryan Ledson and Jayden Stockley after scoring Preston's second goal against Birmingham at DeepdaleBrad Potts is congratulated by Ryan Ledson and Jayden Stockley after scoring Preston's second goal against Birmingham at Deepdale
Brad Potts is congratulated by Ryan Ledson and Jayden Stockley after scoring Preston's second goal against Birmingham at Deepdale

So it was with a sense of irony that on the day they won for only the second time in 11 matches, their play-off hopes were ended.

Close but no cigar. For the third season in a row there was a near miss for Alex Neil’s men.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

PNE had given themselves too much to do in trying to further extend this stretched campaign with a shot at the play-offs.

Patrick Bauer celebrates after giving PNE the lead against BirminghamPatrick Bauer celebrates after giving PNE the lead against Birmingham
Patrick Bauer celebrates after giving PNE the lead against Birmingham

Even if they were to do their own business successfully, a place in the top six was reliant on others slipping up too.

It was chiefly Cardiff who needed to make a hash of things in the last two games for PNE to sneak in.

The Bluebirds did no such thing in the first of those matches, winning 3-1 at Middlesbrough at the same time Neil’s men were overcoming Birmingham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It makes Wednesday’s curtain call at Bristol City all rather academic, bar pride and a sense of professionalism.

Brad Potts pulls the trigger for Preston's second goalBrad Potts pulls the trigger for Preston's second goal
Brad Potts pulls the trigger for Preston's second goal

North End’s poor run of form was always going to catch up on them and on Saturday it did – just as they discovered that winning feeling.

Two wins in 11 games, this one the first at Deepdale since February 22, was simply not the sign of play-off hopefuls.

A strong first-half of the season gave way to a generally poor second half, containing just the occasional highlight.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Missing out on the top six this time was different to the last two years.

PNE centre-half Patrick Bauer tackles Birmingham midfielder Jude BellinghamPNE centre-half Patrick Bauer tackles Birmingham midfielder Jude Bellingham
PNE centre-half Patrick Bauer tackles Birmingham midfielder Jude Bellingham

In 2017/18, they had given themselves too much to do and a strong late run was not quite good enough.

Last year they positioned themselves as a genuine threat just outside the play-off places and then fell away badly.

Preston had spent much of this season in the top six and then tumbled out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The three seasons show that they are a very decent Championship team but haven’t quite got what it takes to last the course.

Daniel Johnson and Alex Neil walk down the touchline after the final whistleDaniel Johnson and Alex Neil walk down the touchline after the final whistle
Daniel Johnson and Alex Neil walk down the touchline after the final whistle

Why that is, we will have plenty of time to debate once the dust settles on the regular season in midweek.

It was a shame that this decent display and win should coincide with the play-offs being put beyond them.

North End were worthy winners, their visitors offering little despite still needing a point or so to ensure staying up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Declan Rudd had to make two saves early in the second half, the first an extremely good one, but that aside wasn’t troubled.

Three of the impressive performers in this game were players who hadn’t had much of a look-in before the season’s enforced break.

Ryan Ledson, Jordan Storey and Brad Potts have all had more of a chance since the restart.

Ledson has started four of the last five games, with Storey featuring in the last four – three of them as a starter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Potts has been on the pitch in all eight matches since the June 20 resumption, starting four of them.

In this one he started on the wing before moving into the middle later on.

It was from that central role that he scored PNE’s clincher late on, Patrick Bauer having given them the lead at the end of the first half.

Potts, Ledson and Storey have surely given Neil food for thought for next season with their performances at the end of this one.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The form Potts is showing now is akin to that displayed when he first arrived.

Storey looks back to how he was last season when the young player of the yeare award came his way.

As for Ledson, there is more of a calmness to his play.

There were times last season when it looked like he wanted to maim anyone who crossed his path.

Birmingham’s visit came four days after Preston had faced slick-moving Brentford.

The opponents’ respective styles contrasted greatly.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Birmingham pitched-up with a 4-4-2, two banks of four designed to be hard to break down with the defence sitting rather deep.

North End went at them with a third different system in the last three games, going back to a 4-2-3-1 after using 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 previously.

It was a shape which had Potts and Josh Harrop giving the width, Daniel Johnson in the No.10 role behind Jayden Stockley.

Ledson had the calming influence of Paul Gallagher next to him, Gally getting a rare 90 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A last hurrah asked some fans, mindful this was the final home game.

Post-match, Gallagher spoke in hopeful terms of landing a new deal to cover the 2020/21 campaign.

At the back, Bauer and Storey played as a pair and looked solid.

The right-footed Storey was confident in filling the vacancy created on the left side by Ben Davies’ damaged hamstring.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

PNE should have been in front as early as the ninth minute, Johnson’s delightful pass freeing Stockley in the box only for the striker to fire over the bar.

Gallagher’s free-kick from 25 yards whistled just over the bar before Bauer made the breakthrough in the 43rd minute.

When a Gallagher corner from the right dropped over a crowd of heads, it landed in the path of Bauer.

His finish was with the side of his right foot on the half volley, guided low in the low past Lee Camp.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rudd kept that advantage in place with a superb save from Gary Gardner, tipping his volley over the bar.

He parried a close-range header from Harlee Dean soon after, that save while not as spectacular, still important.

North End left it late to put the lid on victory, Potts’ goal coming in the 87th minute.

Gallagher hoisted a high ball over the Birmingham defence which substitute Sean Maguire chased with Kristian Pedersen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Blues left-back got his head to it and half cleared, the ball falling to Potts.

He drove down the left hand side of the box and hit a low shot on the run across Camp into the far corner.

A 12th home victory of the season achieved – four more than last year and three better than 2017/18.