Preston North End's play-off hopes fade at Watford as away faithful ask Ryan Lowe for second half changes

The Lilywhites were looking to bounce back from defeat at Birmingham City - and news of Norwich City’s victory, in the early East Anglia derby, only piled more pressure on Preston North End to get the job done at Vicarage Road. Hope of them doing so, on Gentry Day, appeared to take a hit when the team news dropped at two o’clock. In the absence of Alan Browne, Ben Whiteman, Liam Millar, Ryan Ledson and Brad Potts, manager Ryan Lowe came up with a concoction of defenders and strikers; experience the main ingredient. Greg Cunningham started for the first time since October, while Jack Whatmough partnered Ali McCann in central midfield. And with three strikers on the pitch in Will Keane, Emil Riis and Milutin Osmajic, the game plan was fairly obvious.

PNE would get the ball from back to front, quickly, and scrap for anything and everything in between. With Watford having taken North End apart during that dark Deepdale second half, the depleted visitors intended to make it a battle. And on the balance of the first half, which started fairly end-to-end but drifted into an scrappy thing, you would have to say it was played on PNE’s terms. The two thousand away fans - donning bowler hats and suits - had little to shout about other than an early Whatmough header, guided just wide from Robbie Brady’s corner. Watford’s team was full of flair, but Preston nullified that with a fair degree of comfort - Jamal Lewis sending the one glaring chance miles over the crossbar. Just before the break, though, one of PNE’s left footers was left in disbelief. A corner dropped to Andrew Hughes, five yards out, but he smashed his first time shot well, well wide of the target.

With play-off chasing teams, elsewhere, all leading at half-time, the remaining 45 minutes at Vicarage Road were of great importance to PNE. The away side’s chances on the day had all been flash moments and another one came along, mid-way through the second half. But, from Riis’ hooked cross back into the box, Keane volleyed agonisingly wide. The number seven was left with his head in hands. Clear-cut opportunities were not a constant and there was the feeling, as the away end gasped, that North End may not get another. As the clock struck 80 minutes, patience in the away end wore thin and chants, pleading for the manager to make a change, were sung. Lowe, eventually, turned to his bench a couple of minutes later - as Mads Frokjaer and Layton Stewart entered the fray. There would be no late drama though, with the second half a non-event and the away point doing little for Preston’s play-off chances. With a stretched squad, Saturday’s test was never going to be easy, but there are tougher ones to come. And as the referee’s whistle sounded, you could forgive any fan for feeling North End’s race was run.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham, Brady, Whatmough, McCann, Hughes, Keane, Riis (Frokjaer 82’), Osmajic (Stewart 82’). PNE unused subs: Cornell, Seary, Best, T Mawene, N Mawene, Holmes, Woodburn.