Preston North End will make the long trip down to Plymouth Argyle next weekend, looking to bounce back.
The Lilywhites were beaten 1-2 by Stoke City on Saturday, with Steven Schumacher getting one over on his good mate Ryan Lowe. The Potters picked up a vital three points in their scrap for survival, with Luke McNally netting an 87th minute winner.
Here are our talking points from PNE's loss - their first in eight games.
1. Pay the Potters some credit
There may have been a few eyebrows raised when PNE's boss predicted this would be his team's toughest game for a couple of months. And, it's worth nothing that this was not North End at their best by any stretch - especially in the rather dire first half. But, Stoke came with a clear plan and for the majority of the contest they nullified and frustrated Preston - while matching or exceeding the hosts' intensity and aggression. When North End are not superior in that regard, they do tend to struggle - it is the strong base to any positive performance and/or result. Steven Schumacher knows Lowe well and he clearly learned a few lessons from his previous visit to Deepdale, with Plymouth. Stoke's boss packed his team with players who boast athleticism, matched PNE's shape up and employed a direct but simple game plan. The Potters gave North End very little to press and there was a fight about Stoke all afternoon - as you would expect given the situation they are in. Lynden Gooch was a threat down the left and the away side's experienced midfield players played well.
2. North End off the pace
'Flat' was the appropriate word used by Ryan Lowe, to describe the first half at Deepdale. North End weren't able to make a quick start to the game and Stoke settled pretty well. Preston just weren't their usual selves, with Mads Frokjaer on the fringes of the game - though he did go on to provide an excellent assist and thread some other dangerous passes through. As an attacking unit, PNE just didn't hit the levels they have done of late. As for what his team could've done better given Stoke's man-to-man approach, Lowe said: "We could've got in behind, strikers could've played a little bit closer and Mads didn't really get on the ball as much as we'd like - but we knew that, if they played the way they played. Condense the space, that's what you have to do but you have to find a way. We try to shout and get information on, but it's hard - so we got to half time and you could see it was fresh in the second half. We were higher up the pitch, in better areas and scored a fantastic goal. To concede the way we did, I am not happy about it and the lads know. But, we will watch it, debrief it, analyse it and make sure we are better next time."
3. Boost for Milly
It's been a low key few months for Milutin Osmajic, with the return of Emil Riis seeing PNE's summer signing sit on the bench predominantly. Minutes have still been coming Osmajic's way, but the 24-year-old has sometimes looked almost too eager to impress and sharpness naturally wanes with a lack of starts. Here, though, he was backed to come on and impact the game. His header, which should've really earned PNE at least a point, was really well taken - in front of the Alan Kelly Town End, once again. Osmajic peeled off his man, read the flight of Frokjaer's cross expertly and powered his header low and hard. It takes quality to beat Daniel Iversen and the PNE striker's effort certainly had that. You saw what the goal meant to him and - despite the defeat - hopefully that can give Osmajic a boost of confidence heading into the final 11 matches. It's been a first season of settling and learning, but this was a really clean piece of centre-forward play from a player whose game sometimes looks a tad untidy.
4. No penalty for PNE
The North End boss wasn't really in the mood for talking about penalties post-match, with Preston's appeals waved away for another game. Emil Riis' first half shout looked a soft one, despite the fantastic first touch which took him into the box and goal side of Ben Wilmot. In the second half, Alan Browne went down under the challenge of Lynden Gooch - but referee Josh Smith was not interested. That shout looked a stronger one for PNE and speaking afterwards, Jordan Storey said that the players felt it should've been given. And for Ben Whiteman's chance at the end of the game, Wilmot went flying in and caught PNE's number four on the inside of his left leg - after the ball had been struck. It was an honest attempt to block the strike by Stoke's centre-half, but he made no contact with the ball and wiped Whiteman out. On the balance of the 90 minutes, North End's frustration will, or at least should, have been at their under-par performance and the goals they shipped. But, it's fair to say Preston aren't getting many decisions inside the box at the moment.