PNE ace Darnell Fisher pays price for yellow card

Darnell Fisher challenges Aston Villa's Joshua Onomah at Villa Park on Tuesday night

The right-back got his 10th booking of the season in the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, triggering a two-match suspension.

Fisher, who North End fans sing about to the tune of David Bowie’s 1972 hit ‘Starman’, will sit out the Ipswich and Bolton Wanderers matches.

His booking came in 34th minute for a foul on Icelandic midfielder Birkir Bjarnason, having already been warned for clashing with the same player.

Lilywhites manager Alex Neil said: “I thought Darnell in the first half was a bit petulant with his booking.

“I didn’t think it was a necessary one.

“But he put in a really mature performance in the second half.

“I’d told him at half-time we couldn’t afford to have another man sent off so either do me a job or I have a decision to make.

“To be fair to him, he was excellent and did really well.”

Turning his thoughts to the costly yellow card itself, Neil said: “It was his 10th and that’s why it was more frustrating for me – it was a silly booking.”

Fisher is the second PNE player to reach the 10-booking mark this  season, Ben  Pearson the other.

Pearson returned from a two-game ban at Villa and got his 11th yellow card for protesting about the award of the home side’s penalty for the equaliser.

Fisher’s likely replacement for Saturday’s visit of Ipswich to Deepdale is Calum Woods.

Tom Clarke had a spell of playing at right-back when Fisher was sidelined by a hip injury for five weeks either side of Christmas.

However, the skipper has been missing since getting an injury in training ahead of the Brentford game.

Neil did not provide much of an update on Clarke’s  injury when it came to who might step in for Fisher.

He said: “I’m not sure about Tom at the moment but we have got cover.”