Don’t be disappointed says PNE Fans’ Panel member John Smith...look what’s happened to our rivals of a few years ago

e have now taken only four points from our last seven matches in a poor run which has made this season’s feel-good factor fade a bit for me. The Championship is a highly competitive league and to finish where we have after such a bad start – especially considering the horrendous amount of injuries we have had – is in my opinion a tremendous achievement for Alex Neil’s young, evolving side, who could be stronger next time around.

However the statistic of only one win and seven defeats in eight matches against this season’s top-four sides proves there is a lot of hard work to be done to push onto the next level.

We began the first half well and seized control of the game with a deserved two-goal lead.

The last time Wednesday manager Steve Bruce faced a North End side he suffered the indignity of having a cabbage thrown at him at the end of the game and judging by the large amount of half-time boos coming from the packed away end, the odds of history repeating itself must have been rapidly shortening . However in the second half his side went gung ho and soon pulled a goal back which turned the game in an instant.

We then regained our two-goal advantage only to crumble and surrender it following a period of sustained pressure from Wednesday.

Next season will be our fifth successive one at this level since our promotion via the play-offs four years ago.

It is worth noting that both Orient and Chesterfield, who contested those with us that year, have this term been playing non-league football while our Wembley opponents Swindon have not been pulling up any trees since being relegated to League Two the season after.