Zero inspiration from the touchlines for PNE says Fans’ Panel’s John Roper

North End started the game okay but never really got to grips with a Wycombe side who were very predictable but very effective with their game plan,

The fact that North End couldn’t counter the visitors’ strategy to any degree was probably the most disappointing aspect of the afternoon for me.

Losing Ben Pearson after half an hour probably didn’t help our cause but for long periods of the second half we just seemed to have no idea how to get it forward and play some attacking football.

Wycombe equalised Barkhuizens first-half goal just after the break and when they took the lead with 15 minutes to go I thought the game was over.

Fortunately for Preston we managed to force an own goal three minutes from time to steal a point but this was poor from PNE, very poor.

We had a double chance through Barky and Maguire after 14 minutes and, as the ball was recycled, a back header from Knight in the Wycombe defence only found the head of Barkhuizen and North End were one up.

A big blow for North End after half an hour as Pearson twisted his left ankle and limped off in some pain to be replaced by Harrop. Instead of getting the second goal things went down the plug hole for North End in the second half.

There were just three minutes gone in the second period when the visitors drew level via an acute angle shot.

It was good strike from McCleary but questions must be asked of the defending. Kashket missed a sitter to give Wycombe the lead as North End teetered.

Riis was introduced for Maguire, before Potts and Stockley replaced Rafferty and the ineffective Johnson.

North End seemed to lose their shape at the back and Wycombe took the lead with a quarter of an hour left, but with three minutes to go a ball from the right hit McCarthy and went into his own net to gift North End a point they hardly deserved.

Riis missed two really good chances in the seven added minutes much to the disgust of the manager as North End’s shambolic home form continues.

It is getting very difficult to give a positive summary for North End’s home performances, this season, and this was no better.

Wycombe don’t quite have the quality, on paper at least, that Alex Neil’s men have but they do have team spirit and leadership both on and off the field.

Contrast that with North End looking shot-shy and sometimes arrogant on the ball feeling they only need to turn up at home to win. Zero inspiration from the touchline.

It was an excellent win at Bournemouth on Tuesday and our away form is top drawer as we speak.

But if the fans had watched one win, one draw and six defeats in the first eight home games of the season I am absolutely convinced Alex Neil would not be the manager of our football club.