Still a work in progress says Preston North End Fans’ Panel member John Smith

Whenever we play the Blues at home it always brings back fond memories of my all-time favourite Deepdale game when we beat them in the play off semi-final.

Lowe spoke this week about galvanising his team, something Birmingham’s famous fan and director Jasper Carrot unsuccessfully tried to do for his side before kick-off on that magical night 21 years ago.

In the first half we had Birmingham pegged back for the most of it and while the football might not have been funky like the moped in the Birmingham comedian’s song we were moving well without being in full throttle and deserved to go into the interval with a one-goal lead.

In the second half I was expecting us to step up a gear and but exactly the opposite happened as Birmingham got on the front foot, with our tank eventually running out of juice four minutes from time when we conceded a late equaliser.

On the balance of play Birmingham probably deserved their point but I personally thought both sides looked very ordinary and having led for so long and missing a couple of opportunities to get the all important second goal I left the ground feeling a little disappointed. I thought the crowd was magnificent and really tried to lift the team.

However, as I have said many times during the reign of previous managers ,it is a two-way thing to lift each other and the players have to do their bit too.

It would be great to see Deepdale fully rocking like it was on that pulsating night against Birmingham in May 2001 but with Lowe’s tenure in its infancy and being very much a “work in progress” for the time being I will remain still “Waiting For Glory”.