John Smith's PNE fans' panel view: An away point isn't to be sniffed at

They have been transported to another world at the bottom end of the Championship table, completely the opposite of what their fans had expected after their relegation from the Premier League last season.

The Hatters had lost five out of their last six league games prior to Saturday’s match.

It meant that they were hovering just above the relegation spots, five points and as many places below North End who were in 15th position in the table.

There was a harrowing journey to negotiate a passage around the many blocked-off roads in the tight streets near the ground at Kenilworth Road, in order to reach the stadium.

Having done that, then having to endure such a dour game in very cramped, archaic conditions once inside it, I can honestly say that – unlike one of author Carroll’s leading characters Alice – this day out for me was definitely not one of an adventure in wonderland like hers.

Luton had parted company with their manager, Rob Edwards, earlier in the week.

However, if this new beginning under Matt Bloomfield was supposed to be like one of a ‘Hatters Tea Party’, the only one of Carroll’s fictional characters who would have been happy to attend would have been the dormouse.

Instead of constantly falling asleep, it could even have hibernated such was the extent of the crowd’s quietness during the non-event of a first half in which neither side managed to create a clear-cut chance.

The second half continued the battle of attrition that was on display in the first.

Shooting towards the goal where our travelling faithful fans were gathered in the corner, we were slightly more adventurous in terms of getting the ball forwards into our opponents’ half.

Nevertheless, apart from an audacious lob from the halfway line by Andrew Hughes – which ended up being easily caught by the keeper – there was also very little excitement to warm up our fans’ hands and toes in the freezing cold stadium.

As the game petered out towards its almost inevitable conclusion, neither side seemed to want to get on the front foot.

Instead, both of them looked like they wanted to draw so much they should have taken pencils and sketchbooks onto the pitch with them instead of shooting boots.

The only positive to be taken from this game is the fact that we kept a clean sheet, with the result giving us a little breathing space away from the drop zone for now.

It also meant that we remained five points in front of Luton, who slipped into the bottom three.

Therefore, on the journey home, I was not as ‘mad as a hatter’ as although I had to sit through another game of turgid football, I am of the belief that a point on the road is never to be sniffed at.