Preston North End Defender Left In Agony After Last Minute Drama

It would be fair to say that Ryan Lowe’s team had the better of the play, but the Saints were never out of the game and will always pose a threat and had the majority of possession. Something that full-back Brad Potts was all too aware of.

 

The right-back looked set to be the match-winner after his goal put Preston 2-1 up with the second goal in a four-minute spell shortly after halftime.

To concede late on was a heartbreaker as Preston could’ve gone clear into third place on a night when Leeds United lost. So when Potts was talking to the press after the game you could see both his anguish and tiredness, after his super display.

Reported by the Lancashire Post, he said. “To concede so late is just so disappointing. I think set plays are our bread and butter – we usually deal with them so well. It is literally the last kick of the game and so annoying because we played really well tonight – especially in the second half.

“To come from one-nil down and be in a winning position, it is just so frustrating to not come away with the three points. I think them bringing their goalkeeper up maybe confused it a little bit, because there was an extra body in there.”

With North End so close to snapping a five-game run without a win, this was even more heartbreaking.

“We’ve got to defend it better. There is nothing more to say because we’re just disappointed. We’ve got to take the positives from the game. Second half was brilliant and we need to take that into the game against Hull on Saturday.

“We cannot just let a last-minute goal ruin everything going forward. We were 30 seconds away from getting three points away from a team who were in the Premier League last season.”

Writer’s View

Given the fact that Preston has not won a game in six, it is a wonder how they are still in fourth place, if it were the start of the season they would be talking relegation instead of promotion. Not that there is any immediate talk of that. More of chances missed. With Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, and Coventry City to come next, they will want to get back into winning ways soon, or a potential slide down the table could happen, in what is shaping up to be a very competitive playoff chase.

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Che Adams was taken off at half-time during Southampton’s 2-2 draw with Preston North End on Wednesday night with an injury, Russell Martin has explained.

The Scotland international led the line at Deepdale as Saints stretched their unbeaten run in the Championship to five matches following a late own-goal from Preston forward Ched Evans.

Kyle Walker-Peters had put the visitors ahead by the break only for goals from Milutin Osmajic and Brad Potts to turn the game on its head in three second-half minutes. Evans then diverted a 96th-minute corner into his own net to see the spoils shared.

Adams started last weekend’s win over Hull City on the bench following his involvement with Scotland during the international break, with Martin defending his decision to start the forward after revealing he had picked up a knock.

“He’s picked up an injury and it’s frustrating. It’s really frustrating for him and for us. This is the problem with going away on international duty and their routine is different, it’s the same with Carlos (Alcaraz) and Stuey (Armstrong).

“We don’t decide without speaking to them and getting them involved in it, and I think it was the right thing (to start them from the bench) for 60 or 70 minutes. That 20-minute period will make people think differently about the changes but that is why have a multi-disciplinary team with medical and sport science.

“We all sit around a table and have an honest discussion and then the decision is made with the players understanding why. Sometimes they agree and sometimes they don’t, but we have a chance this weekend to make it a top week overall.”

Centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis missed the match altogether as he continues recovery from a hamstring concern that forced him to withdraw from the England Under-21 squad this month.

The defender played the full 90 minutes of the win over Hull City last Saturday but is now hoping he’ll be fit enough for this weekend’s clash with Birmingham City at St Mary’s.