The Tim Mercer Column: A moment of Devine intervention settles poor game of football
I always look forward to the first time, since the onset of winter, that I leave the ground in daylight.
It is a marker that the cold and dark days are being left behind and that spring is not far away.
On this occasion, I also left with a spring in my step, as we finally got our first home win since New Year’s Day to get back in touch with the Championship play-off places.
On the way into Deepdale, it was agreed by my fellow fans that a win was all that mattered and to hell with how we might get it if we were to stay in contention for a top six push.
Well, someone once said “be careful what you wish for”, as we were ‘treated’ to a very poor game of football made worse by the ever-deteriorating pitch.
It’s the same for both sides, of course, and so offers no excuses in terms of a final result but – and it’s a big but – it doesn't half make it difficult to build patterns of play in a modern game which relies on each pitch being like a carpet.
The opening phase of the game saw Pompey dominating possession to such an extent that this fan remarked it seemed like Portsmouth were the home side!
And yet it was North End who scored the only goal towards the end of the half and at least this was a beauty.
Lewis Gibson started the move with a surging run out of defence before laying the ball off to Andrija Vukčević on the left wing who supplied a peach of a cross into the middle of the box.
It was met at a stretch by Alfie Devine and the fans’ favourite somehow managed to guide a looping header into the top right corner from an acute angle. The visiting keeper was stranded and could do nothing about it.
Much of the same poor spectacle continued after the break and it has to be said that Dai Cornell earned his corn, making smart stops and catches as the visitors piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.
It added to a superb save at his near post right at the end of the first half that kept the one goal advantage intact.
When you consider it is only a few games ago he was the third-choice keeper before No. 1 Daniel Iversen’s injury, it is a testament to him that he has taken his chance.
Even more so when you consider he was blamed by some for the late plunge towards relegation at the back end of last season and is no doubt part of the reason he was sent down the pecking order.
It was also his first win in a North End shirt and was rounded off nicely by the clean sheet.
Let’s hope the new signings can give a fillip to the squad, along with a fair number of players returning from injury, to continue the dream of play-offs and the end of a near 65-year absence from the top flight of English football.