The Tim Mercer column - a Hallowe'en horror show
It was a hallowe’en nightmare for North End as they were well beaten 2-0 by Stoke City on Saturday.
Following the first good display under Graham Alexander of last week, albeit only a draw, there was a feeling that a corner, if not quite yet turned, had at least been arrived at and with it the promise of better days ahead.
Let’s not kid ourselves after this inept display and a return to losing ways – this team has the word ‘relegation’ stamped across it in big fat letters and I for one cannot see a way we can avoid it this season.
Unfortunately, having been here before more than once over the decades, you just know it when you see it – you can almost taste it and smell it.
Having said all that, it appeared North End were going to try and continue from where they left off a week ago, with an initial intensity and high pressing game in the opening few minutes that appeared to take the hosts a little by surprise.
But it didn’t last long and as the half wore on the home side soon got into their stride and looked more and more comfortable, getting forward with the ball into dangerous positions.
It therefore came as no real surprise that the first goal was yet again conceded following a set piece; in this case a corner. The recycled cross from the initial clearance was headed into the net far too easily – a recurring theme throughout this dreadful season to date.
Despite keeping it to just the one goal deficit by the break, I was not hopeful we would turn it around in the second half and this proved to be the case.
If anything, we became more inept as the minutes ticked by with zero threat to our opponents who were simply finding it all too easy.
More woeful marking resulted in Stoke’s second goal and it could easily have been four if we hadn’t have had Daniel Iversen between the sticks.
At the final whistle there was a level of anger in a section of the supporters that I have not seen for a very long time.
Nothing less than a fully committed and aggressive performance against Sheffield United at Deepdale on Tuesday night will do if we are to stand any chance of getting anything from that game.