No place like home: One big issue Preston North End must address if they're to kick on next season

As the full-time whistle rang out around Pride Park on Wednesday night, Preston North End made it double figures for an unwanted statistic. Despite all the energy and enthusiasm which Paul Heckingbottom has injected since his August arrival, wins away from home have been an Achilles’ heel. Midweek trips have delivered some of this season’s highs, but there was little encouragement a fourth would come in Derby.

Of the 20 games PNE have contested away from home this term, they have only come away as victors on three occasions. As touched on, those who made the strenuous trips to Cardiff, Watford and Norwich, definitely made positive memories following their team. Unfortunately, enjoyment on the road hasn’t been frequent. This pattern hasn’t just emerged; it was one of many obstacles thrown upon Heckingbottom when he joined the club.

Across the past two seasons, the Lilywhites have only managed 10 wins away from home out of a possible 43. This campaign has seen PNE been extremely tough to beat at home, coming out second best at Deepdale only once in the league during Heckingbottom’s tenure. Besides Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley, no other side in the division can boast a better record.

Away Day Blues

So, why the difficulties away from home? Another comparison can be made between the number of goals PNE have shipped on their travels. North End have conceded 31 times away from Deepdale, more than double the 15 goals let in at home. In contrast, there is only a three-goal difference between the number of times the Lilywhites have netted both home and away - highlighting the side’s defensive fragility on the road.

Admittedly, three of those were let in during the Swansea City contest, which predated Heckingbottom’s appointment. The losses at Portsmouth and Millwall were particularly humbling afternoons for North End - two results regularly referenced throughout the season, by manager and players, as low points.

It is a concern that some of the solid foundations instilled by PNE’s boss, within the group, remain prone to dissipating away from Deepdale - albeit slight improvement has been seen since the dire New Year’s Day clash at West Brom. Impressive performances at Burnley, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday would’ve been well worthy of wins; the inconsistency only serves to build frustration.

Hope for the future

It must be factored into the equation that Heckingbottom is yet to spend a full summer at Preston, and took over the team in far-from-ideal circumstances. Ensuring that strong away displays are far more regular will be a major target moving forwards. PNE’s boss commented on the club’s plans for the upcoming transfer window, on Wednesday night.

“People are gone,” said Heckingbottom, when asked about the change anticipated. “Duane’s gone, so we've got a lot of spaces to fill. You can see we're light at the minute. There's going to be change. But, you also don't want to lose what these lads are, which is a fantastic group. They work really hard, train really hard. We can't lose what we are good at and become a soft touch.”

While North End have been hot and cold on the road, there is clear goodwill from the Deepdale faithful towards Heckingbottom - whom faith must be placed in to spark the necessary improvements with time. PNE’s home turf has certainly become more of a fortress under his stewardship; an equally tough team to beat on their travels would make the ideal mix.