Tim Mercer column - Sam Greenwood header was only bright moment in the gloom at Deepdale
The only piece of quality this Preston fan can remember from a dull affair in the Storm Bert gloom at Deepdale was the opening goal from the hosts.
A lovely whipped in cross from the left by Andrew Hughes was met with aplomb by the on-loan Sam Greenwood, who guided a wonderfully looped header in past the Derby keeper.
As for the equaliser, a mere six minutes later, I am honour bound by this column to report on it, even though I would sooner not.
Another bit of atrocious defending by the Lilywhites, again from a set-piece, allowed the Rams back into the game for what would prove to be their only effort on goal in the entire 90 minutes!
To rub salt into the wound, it was headed in by ex-Blackpool player Jerry Yates who was in acres of space as the defence failed to deal with a free kick.
No wonder he ran over to the corner flag nearest to me in order to taunt us all following the stick he’s been given earlier in the match.
Overall, you could argue that the hosts edged it slightly, but even that feels a tad too generous in what was a dreadful advert for Championship football.
Both teams were very poor on the day and on this showing neither will have done much by the end of the season.
Indeed, if Preston don’t get some wins on the scoreboard soon, we could be looking at going into a relegation fight by time we come through the Christmas period.
With the second half being no better than the first, despite Paul Heckingbottom starting it with an extra striker in the form of substitute Milutin Osmajic, the game laboured on and it was something of a relief when time was called.
And, believe it or not, it could have got much worse when a Derby player drove a powerful shot only just over the bar deep in stoppage time following, you guessed it, a corner.
Let’s just hope we can return to the kind of form we have shown at times since Heckingbottom came in and finally get our first away win of the season from the midweek trip to Stoke.