Tim Mercer's PNE fans' panel verdict: FA Cup defeat puts the focus back on the league
I left a very cold Deepdale on Friday night, having seen nothing to warm me in any way following a defeat to League One opposition now managed by our former gaffer Ryan Lowe.
Last season’s journey to the quarter-finals is now but a distant memory and means we can use the old adage of ‘concentrating on the league’ for the remainder of the campaign.
Most disappointing is that, despite a lot of running around, we didn’t really threaten Wigan at any point apart from near the end, when at least substitute Alfie Devine had a bit of a go.
More disheartening was it happened despite manager Paul Heckingbottom naming a strong side – and with an equally experienced set of first-team players sat on the bench.
Let’s take nothing away from the Latics. They stayed hungry throughout the 90 minutes, giving little time for North End to get out of defensive positions to mount any sort of attack.
It was made worse by poor forward play, with supposed front players unable to take a touch or hold the ball up and thereby not allowing any pattern to build and threaten the visiting defence.
This fan should have realised it was going to be one of those nights in the opening few minutes.
Wigan should have taken the lead following an excellent move down their left wing and quality cross to an unmarked player on the edge of the six-yard area.
We waited for the ball to nestle in the corner, but the resultant shot went just wide of the post in a real let-off.
Later in the first half, another Latics player was put clean through with a ball over the top but fluffed his chance when he really should have scored.
The only move of note from the hosts was between those two junctures, when Lewis Dobbin wiggled through into the right-hand side of the penalty area to get a shot off that took a deflection and bobbled wide.
The second period wasn’t much better, despite a number of substitutions that had no real effect apart from the late appearance of Devine.
He forced the visiting keeper to make two good saves, the first after cutting inside and aiming for the inside of the near post that required a sharp parry and clearance.
The second was in the closing moments with a glancing header that looked like it was going in before another excellent save pushed it into the path of Brad Potts to put in the net – but, unfortunately, from an offside position.
In the meantime, Wigan scored in the 75th minute and missed a penalty in the 83rd.
Maybe I should have left early and got home quicker to warm up! At least now we can concentrate... well, you know the rest.