Preston North End succombed to a 1-0 defeat at Hull City on Saturday afternoon, with Jaden Philogene’s second half strike seeing the Lilywhites’ winless run extend to seven games.
Here are our five talking points following the clash at the MKM Stadium.
1. No penalty...
For the third match in a row, Ryan Lowe was left frustrated to not see his team awarded a penalty. PNE could’ve done other things better on the day, but there is no getting away from the fact Alan Browne had a major case for a spot kick in the second half and saw his appeal waved away - leaving Lowe far from amused post-match. There was a last minute change of referee and this was a huge moment in the match, with the score line goalless in a game where one goal always looked likely to settle the contest. It was messy from Alfie Jones and nine times out of 10, you feel a penalty is given in those circumstances.
2. Double injury blow
It’s rare to see two players forced off at the exact same time in the first half, but PNE had to get Greg Cunningham and Will Keane off the pitch after half-an-hour in Hull. Frustrating news for both players, with Keane having only returned from a knock earlier this month, while Cunningham has just had a contract extension - based on availability and fitness - triggered. On those two, Lowe said: “I don’t know how bad they are at the minute. Keano’s is his groin and Greg’s is his hamstring. There was no complaints with the lads coming on to the pitch - they all know their jobs.”
3. Selection and substitutes
Preston’s third game in a week saw one change made by Lowe, with Ryan Ledson brought in for Mads Frokjaer to try and stop Hull’s midfielders from playing. It was not the change many will have expected, as Milutin Osmajic stayed on the bench after assisting and scoring in midweek. The Montenegrin did, though, find himself on the pitch after 32 minutes. Towards the end of the game Lowe threw on Robbie Brady and Ben Woodburn, which sparked debate among supporters over the omission of Mads Frokjaer - who remained an unused substitute. The Dane does seem to be stuck in limbo at the moment: unused at Leicester and Hull but started against Southampton and Millwall - against whom he scored. It appears Frokjaer still has some convincing to do, though his absence on a day when Preston were chasing a goal was undoubtedly odd - given the goal threat he provides.
4. Kian does himself no harm
With Cunningham forced off and Hughes already sidelined, Kian Best was turned to. After his early involvement in the first team this season, Best has had to bide his time and even gone back down to the youth team once or twice. But, he played an hour of Saturday’s clash and handled the occasion in front of a sell out crowd. Best’s career is still in its infancy and there were a few loose moments in possession, but the number 33 got about the pitch, in Hull faces and was positive in his decision making. Depending on the fitness of Hughes and Cunningham, North End may need Best to go again next weekend. His latest performance should give him a little boost, despite the result.