Preston North End winger Tom Barkhuizen rues mistakes in Bristol City defeat and talks about having to self-isolate recently

The Robins took the lead in the eighth minute at Ashton Gate and went on to win 2-0, beating PNE for the first time since 2011.

North End were always in the game when trailing 1-0 but could not turn their possession into chances.

Barkhuizen said: “I think for about 50 or 60 minutes we played quite well but didn’t create enough at the top end.

“We conceded a sloppy goal to go 1-0 down which was very disappointing. We played some decent football at times but didn’t really get anywhere with it.

“The one decent chance we had was Paul Huntington’s header which hit the bar.

“What Bristol City did was manage the game quite well at 1-0. That is something we have done to other teams.

“To start with that stamped their authority on the game by going long to the two big lads up front and getting the two wide lads drifting inside to pick up the second ball.

“We probably took too long to get a grip on that.

“Saying that, they didn’t cause us too many problems chances-wise in open play.

“The first goal was from a corner which we had identified as being a threat.

“We had to defend the middle of the goal but didn’t do that and their lad scored with a good header.

“The second goal later on killed the game, it was a bit of a lucky one with how it went in.”

Barkhuizen was back in the side at Ashton Gate as Preston boss Alex Neil made 10 changes to the team beaten at Wycombe in the FA Cup.

Many of the returnees had been rested last week but Barkhuizen had been forced to sit it out having been told to self-isolate following a track and trace outside of the club.

The winger said: “It was frustrating but it is something a lot of people have to do.

“I couldn’t go outside, I couldn’t train, it was just a lot of sitting around.

“It is different to when you are injured because then you are still active in other ways.

“I managed to get some work done during the week when the isolation ended and I’m fine. I wanted to contribute to a better result but that wasn’t possible.”

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