Preston North End verdict - Football became a sideshow after touchline circus against Swansea City but questions remain

The circus that ensued on 90 minutes is what will undoubtedly take the headlines as both sets of players, and both sets of coaching staff engaged in a mass brawl that all started with Swansea’s substituted midfielder Joe Allen and North End manager Ryan Lowe.

There was a period of pandemonium that ended with both men getting straight red cards. But first, to the football.

Joel Piroe scored the first and last goals of the night, helping Swansea into an early lead with the opener. Just two minutes in he was allowed the room in the box to take a touch and find the back of the net, with Allen making it two.

Swansea countered PNE and showed intelligence in the way they came forward, picking the right pass and ultimately finding Allen with room on the right side of the box, he cut inside onto his left and steered it beyond Woodman into the far corner.

Harry Darling made it three just before half time. He was free as a bird inside the North End box from a Ryan Manning inswinging free kick from the right to head home and take the game away from PNE.

At least, that’s what the Swans thought. Tom Cannon scored in the opening minutes of the second 45 before Troy Parrott’s clever finish had them within one goal of their hosts.

After the chaos at the end of the game, there was still time for one more goal in the fourth of eight minutes added on. Robbie Brady’s stray pass across his own half was intercepted by Liam Walsh and knocked into the path of Piroe, who made no mistake.

The off the field stuff was shambolic, and I will come to that later on in this piece, but first, to the football. Shambolic. The first half, especially.

Perhaps it’s emotions, after the madness that ensued and Lowe refusing to speak to the media after the game, perhaps it’s just PNE once again being in an advantageous position to get into the play-offs, with results going their way on the night, and them not turning up.

The first half of their game against Swansea was up there with as bad as they have been all season. Credit to the Jacks, they were very good. Tactically, they completely had the visitors’ number.

Their 4-3-3 was designed to stretch PNE’s back three and pin them back, Piroe dropped a little deeper at the right times too. That meant it either left a gaping hole in the middle of the backline or it afforded the Swans’ top scorer lots of room to bring the ball under control and get his side going.

Swansea’s three midfielders naturally gravitate closer to their backline, providing plenty of options as they look to play out. It created a chasm between North End’s midfield three and their back three – giving Martin’s side loads of room to work in. The visitors simply couldn’t handle it.

Their style of play also seemed to get into Preston’s head. PNE can break at pace at times, play more direct, but because they knew it would be a while before they would have possession again, they seemed to needlessly slow things down at a time when they could be creating their own momentum. Not to mention that the quality on the night was also lacking. It’s all well and good being aware that your possession will be limited but to panic and throw it away as much as they did really doesn’t help things.

Of those that started, only Alvaro Fernandez, Tom Cannon and Freddie Woodman come out with any sort of credit. The former was fantastic on the night and for at least the first 45 the only PNE player looking capable of playing at this level – Woodman’s positioning also helping keep things to one.

Cannon livened up after his goal, in the right place at the right time, although he couldn’t get into the game in the first half.

There were brief glimpses that North End could put Swansea under pressure if they got the press right but it didn’t happen often enough. The home crowd seemed nervous when their side was put under pressure and if they had been able to last more than two minutes, Preston could have used that to their advantage.

In the end, they were deservedly beaten. Although the away side were better in the second half, in truth they still didn’t create too much and still weren’t the side in control. Credit to Troy Parrott too, who tucked his goal away well. A lovely through ball from Daniel Johnson found the Irishman who lobbed the onrushing goalkeeper on his weaker foot. It looked more like a finish of a man with 20 league goals, not two, but hopefully his third boosts his confidence. He and Cannon should be the starters for the rest of the season now.

Now the elephant in the room, the melee. According to Russell Martin, it was started by Ryan Lowe pushing Joe Allen. Personally, I did not see how it started though I did see Lowe seemingly get Allen in a headlock. It’s bizarre even to type that out.

Martin’s is the only account we got on the night as no one from PNE was put up to speak to the press. Club media were keen for someone to speak to the media, Lowe less so. That does happen, it is not uncommon for managers to delegate media duties to others, but given the circumstances and what went on, it’s poor.

I think that Lowe should have spoken to the media. He could have simply politely refused to answer questions surrounding his red card and instead focussed on the game. It is not about me, or the assembled media, but as one fan pointed out on Twitter, he had taken a day off work, driven down by himself and booked a hotel. The issue he wanted addressing? The first half. Tempers flare in football – what happened after was crazy but not unexplainable.

Supporters deserve to hear from their manager, or someone similar, after a game where they’ve been beaten, were poor for at least half a game and somehow still sit just two points off a play-off place with three games to go.

Lowe is human, of course, he saw red, lost his cool and paid the price for it. But part of that price is then speaking to the media to either explain that or the football to the supporters that pay to follow his team.

There need not be any knee-jerk reactions or outlandish statements but not conducting post match interviews will likely lead to a fine or punishment of sorts from the EFL on top of what will come for the brawl – and any other potential retrospective actions.

Still, Preston are two points off the play-offs with three games to go and chance to go above sixth’s current points total at the weekend as Blackburn Rovers come to Preston for a Lancashire derby. Despite their best efforts not to be, North End are still in with a shout, even if they’re making hard work of it.

Are they still a side capable of making the top six? Their reaction on Saturday may tell us a lot, but the reaction to their defeat to Millwall wasn’t exactly great.

We will have to wait and see what they’re capable of but Lowe will likely be watching the rest of the season from the stands.