'It really is' - Preston North End man makes Derby County admission amid honest assessment of defeat
PNE fell to defeat at Pride Park on Wednesday night
Preston North End midfielder Ryan Ledson admits the Lilywhites struggled to unlock Derby County in Wednesday night’s 2-0 loss.
But, the number 18 - who returned to captain the side at Pride Park after his suspension - also reflected on PNE’s defending with huge frustration. John Eustace’s side climbed out of the relegation zone with victory - their two goals scored in the space of four minutes, straight after the restart.
North End failed to clear a corner and experienced defender Craig Forsyth squeezed home the opener, with a swiveled finish inside the box - among a crowd of bodies. The Rams doubled their advantage when Nat Phillips rose highest in the box; Jerry Yates the fastest to react to his headed effort and flick home.
“It was just a mad 10 minutes at the start of the second half,” said Ledson. “We've conceded from a corner and then a cross in the second phase - after that we've got a mountain to climb. Really frustrating... especially after the way we performed the first half. We thought second half we'd go on and win the game. I don't think they changed (in the second half).
“I just think it was just us not doing our jobs properly. We've got to take full ownership and be better at defending set-plays. That's two games against Derby where we've dropped points and conceded set-plays. So really, really frustrating to be honest. They’ve got a back five in there, four in midfield and one up front. It's hard to break down, it really is.
“Two home games now are massive. We need to pick up points. We've spoken about that as lads. I've been here the last two seasons and it certainly won't be the case this season (that we let it peter out). We've got to be right at every game and we need to still pick up some points. We've been really good at home. I think getting back to Deepdale on Saturday and Tuesday is really important for us.”
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