Tim Mercer’s PNE Fans’ Panel: A draw would have been generous but performance was not that far off
A disappointing loss to an old foe under the floodlights of Ewood Park.
Recent seasons have seen this fan leaving the ground full of the satisfaction that bragging rights secure against your local rivals. Not so on this occasion, in a game that ended with controversy about important referring decisions that did not go North End’s way.
First the ‘penalty that never was’ awarded in the second half that put Blackburn 2-0 up. Then the ‘nailed-on’ penalty that should have been given to the visitors in the closing moments of the game at the point where Preston had got it back to 2-1 a few minutes earlier with a crafty Brad Potts chest down of the ball and toe-poke past the keeper.
Whilst a 2-2 draw would have been slightly generous in terms of the Lilywhites’ overall performance, it was not that far off the mark.
To add insult to injury, the officials didn’t seem to have their watches in working order. A fan next to me took note of how long the game was stopped for the injured Rovers player in the aftermath of their penalty being given.
As it was nearly four minutes, we all expected a minimum of another four or five ‘standard’ minutes to be added for a total of at least eight. Only six went on the board and then none subsequently added on in stoppage time itself for a Potts injury as a result of the clash and penalty claim.
Shortly before Potts’ goal, Emil Riis helped a Jack Whatmough header across the line but the goal was ruled out for offside. I happened to be at the right angle to watch Whatmough’s header and knew it was going in anyway. Clearly, it was not going to be our day.
For me the whole game was a scrappy affair that the hosts just about edged and was certainly not a great advert for Championship football. North End never fully got to grips with any decisive forward play until the late attempts to pull two goals back for a fortuitous point.
This made the officiating errors the more grievous, as in all likelihood a snatched draw would have then been the outcome and there is nothing quite as satisfying as ‘stealing one’ from your nearby adversaries.
Let’s put this one to bed and look forward to a break from the grind of the League in next Saturday’s fourth round FA Cup fixture at home to Wycombe Wanderers.
This fan still bears the scars of, ironically, ex-Blackburn legend Simon Garner scoring for Wycombe against us in the fourth-tier playoff final defeat many seasons ago at the old Wembley Stadium.