Preston supporter Tim Mercer buoyed by performances of new signings

It is not often that this fan doesn’t feel utterly despondent following any home defeat.
Rotherham United's Freddie Ladapo shields the ball from Preston North End's Liam LindsayRotherham United's Freddie Ladapo shields the ball from Preston North End's Liam Lindsay
Rotherham United's Freddie Ladapo shields the ball from Preston North End's Liam Lindsay

Saturday nights in the Mercer household are not a happy place at such moments and is the cross we fans bear.

By this I mean the fans that watch their club week-in and week-out by paying their hard-earned money to go through the turnstiles regardless of size or position of the club they follow.

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In the strange days we are in, this means paying for a video pass on iFollow and hoping North End’s poor home form this season will come to an end soon. Well, within 15 seconds of the usual pre-match hope all that went out of the window!

This fan had only just sat down with his butter pie, peas and gravy to see his side concede a simple goal.

Joe Rafferty headed into his own net as the hosts were literally caught cold in the manner of any cold-blooded creature having to bask in the morning sun before it can warm-up and move properly.

Going in still 1-0 down at half-time should have added to these negative feelings.

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Instead, I was excited and impressed with the new deadline day signings that made their debuts. Of these, young Everton loanee Anthony Gordon looked like he is going to be a real asset once he settles in properly.

This young player oozed class combined with hunger and nearly scored himself on a couple of occasions.

The other loanee, centre back Liam Lindsay, was steady besides Paul Huntingdon and when Hunts had to be replaced in the second half due to a niggle, the young Liverpool and Dutch replacement, Sepp van den Berg, looked mature beyond his years with a calm and steady performance.

Top that off with the hard-working Ched Evans scoring on his first start for the club and all may not look too bad in the weeks ahead.

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The killer goal that increased Rotherham’s lead in the second half was the result of yet more shocking defending and it gives me no pleasure in noting that Rafferty was, in part, to blame for this as well.