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It hurts to lose at Blackpool, no matter the circumstances. Last year was given an extra turn of the knife due to North End simply not turning up on the day.

That was a crime that is unforgiveable for this fan and those who stand around me.

What’s even more galling this time around is that we were on the front foot for the majority of this game and yet still conceded first at the half-hour mark as we switched off and allowed an unmarked Blackpool player a free header into the net.

Still we pushed forward and were awarded a penalty that Ben Whiteman converted to draw us level by half time. After the break we continued to be on top, but – and it’s a very big but – we yet again failed to make anything of our forward play.

Preston North End's Emil Riis is tackled by Blackpool's Kenny Dougall

The lack of quality in the final third with delivery is there for all to see and means few real opportunities are created as we continue our poor ‘goal for’ record. The table never lies over a season and by this stage is taking shape and reflecting the true position of where your club really is.

In Preston’s case we are mid-table at best with that niggle in the back of your mind that a bad run can drag you into the relegation mire.

Still though, being on top and at 1-1 gives you hope of nicking the win. That is until the home side once again took the lead out of nowhere with possibly only their second chance of the match.

It came shortly after the turning point in play brought about by Greg Cunningham being substituted due to injury. This forced Liam Lindsay out to the left of the back three and an unbalanced defence lost their previous domination. The killer third goal allowed Blackpool to relax and it was unsurprising that our late consolation goal led to a flurry that saw Freddie Woodman come up for a corner as we desperately sought an equaliser. Inevitably, the hosts broke from it and placed the ball into his unguarded net to finish off yet another thoroughly miserable day.

Failure in the summer to get in those couple of key players we all know are missing is the root cause of our failure to take advantage of the platform we built in the first 45 minutes and is not the first time I and others have said so this season.

Tim Mercer's PNE Fans' Panel verdict: A better performance than last year does not lessen the hurt