'Had a howler' - Livid Paul Heckingbottom on major refereeing calls and Preston North End's loss to Blackburn
PNE were beaten 2-1 in Friday's Lancashire derby at Ewood Park
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom was left furious by refereeing decisions in Friday’s 2-1 loss to Blackburn Rovers.
But, the Lilywhites chief admitted his side were off the pace offensively at Ewood Park. North End fell behind on 39 minutes when Makhtar Gueye headed home at the back post. John Eustace’s side doubled their lead from the penalty spot in the closing stages of the second half.
Jack Whatmough, facing the opposite direction, was penalised for connecting in the air with Dominic Hyam. Up stepped substitute Todd Cantwell to convert from 12 yards. North End pulled one back three minutes into six added on, through Brad Potts, and then had a huge penalty appeal waved away.
“We were too easy to play against in the first half in terms of we didn't cause them enough problems,” said Heckingbottom post-match. “We played in front of them too much; attacking players not positive enough and then, yeah, the message half time was that if we weren't going to be positive enough in the second half, we'd be positive from the bench.
“We were, but we put ourselves in a horrible position being 2-0 down. Listen, we always focus on what we do and how we can be better, what we get right, what we get wrong. But it's just frustrating the way the game's ended. “If you look at how many times Blackburn turned us when they had good possession of the ball... we only played three passes in behind them in the first half. When I am critical of our team, it's when we display not enough physicality for me.
“There was energy there. We ran, we played, but we played in front of them. We weren't positive enough. If you look back now and think what caused them problems when we played four passes, when we competed for the first ball, we dropped on the second and we bludgeoned our way in. Because Blackburn are a team who defend deep, try and deny the space, when they go 1-0 up they can play on the counter as well. That tactic becomes even more effective for them.
“If we'd have got a comeback after being 2-0 down and away in a derby, it would have been a really good point and a really good sign of the spirit and the togetherness of the group. We had control of the game (for a period in the first half) but I want chances from that. I want to be more aggressive, I want more opportunities. Against a team like Blackburn, who do defend well and are happy to defend deep and give you that space, they'll just play on the counter. We needed more from our attacking players in terms of more deliveries into the box, more bodies in the box to make them defend.”
On Blackburn’s awarded penalty and PNE’s waved away appeal, he added: “Listen, Josh and Jeremy know they've got it wrong. They couldn't wait to get off the pitch. Even all the time Pottsy was down getting treated, they didn't even have any of that on. It's one of them, they've had a howler and it's just... I can't tell you how frustrating it is. It's our jobs and we focus on what we do; I can't tell you how frustrating it is.
“Then when you're working with the lads all the time and the subs made the impact they did, and they've not got the reward for that. But then add to that the 6,500 fans who are paying to be here. They expect better, yeah, we all expect better. I've never seen a penalty given for clash of heads. I see them all the time for elbows in faces. Simple. But again, we're not blaming the ref. We've got all our throw-ins wrong down the right.
“Jack and Pottsy, they know it inside out. Too easy; twice down the line. They get a corner from it and they should never. So look at us then after that, yeah, obviously, someone else has become the star of the show haven't they? There's nothing else to say about it. I could talk about us and what we did, what we got wrong and then what we did well but ultimately, everyone can see our players haven't got what they deserved. Even though we were second best in the first half, our players haven't got what they deserved.”
After the full time whistle North End’s players - with only 18 seconds extra played after Potts had been down for more than two minutes and not been given a penalty either - stormed over to the referee to protest. A red card was brandished, but not to a player according to the Preston boss.
He said: “I think one of the staff was, yeah, I think so. I don't know because I wasn't there, but I think one of our staff was.”