Blood, sweat, tears but no cutting edge

In a game which was largely dominated by the horrific injury to Adam Barton, Preston and Walsall played out a 0-0 draw which didn't lack in effort, but the execution in the final third was rather lacking and goes some way to explain why both teams are where they are in the table.

Unfortunately the main talking point after the game was the event in the 18th minute. Barton went into a sliding challenge to win the ball on the touchline but got his studs caught in the ground and twisted his ankle along with a suspected broken leg (in three places) and it was immediately clear that he was in pain. I was right in front of the incident and it was sickening to see as you could tell that his foot was twisted in the wrong way. However it was poor to see the lax attitude of the referee and the ambulance crew who took several minutes before Barton was attended to and then it took longer before a makeshift cast was put on his foot and ankle, it is a massive shame as not only is Barton only 19 years old but he was starting to find the form we all knew he was capable of and I really hope he comes back an even better player next season.

As for the rest of the game it was clear to see that we have been working on our attacking movement as we were going forward more than we have in recent weeks but whenever we got to the edge of the area the players were confused as to what to do next and pretty much every time we lost possession either by running into a dead end or trying to get the ball through but the ball being cleared to safety, but this was also the case at the other end but Walsall arguably had the better of the chances and should have taken all three points when Florent Cuvelier somehow managed to fire wide when put through on goal with not long to go, once again Thorsten Stuckmann was in magnificent form to pull off a magnificent save with just seconds to go when he tipped over a shot which was destined for the back of the net, defensively we were solid without being assured and perhaps a more potent attacking unit would have scored yesterday, but we've now kept 3 clean sheets in 6 games which shows that the defensive unit has been improved under Westley and if anything we are now a difficult team to beat and slowly but surely Deepdale is becoming a fortress again just like it used to be back in the Championship days when we were pushing for promotion.

With only three games in February not much has been achieved but from the three games that I've seen this month (Hartlepool, Sheffield United and Walsall) at the very least has done enough to show that we aren't going to be dragged into a relegation fight and 4 points out of a possible 9 is about par for the course at this moment in time with a team that is learning to play together as a unit with a new manager, it could easily have been 5/6 points, but it could easily have been only 1 or 2 so I'm not too disappointed with how the month has gone, it could be a lot better, but it is obvious that Westley needs time to turn this team into one that is capable of fighting for promotion after the horror show of the last few years which have been the most depressing football I've ever seen as a Preston fan and even the most turgid of 0-0 draws like yesterday is a step up than some of the dross played in our relegation year and indeed some of the games this season like the 1-0 reverses against Walsall, Bury and Rochdale last autumn which ultimately cost Phil Brown the job after a very poor run of form which didn't really look like it was picking up.

For our next game we travel to Colchester United on March 3rd looking for revenge after the 4-2 defeat on the opening day of the season which showed Preston fans that this season would be a lot tougher than we thought it would be beforehand and it was a case of things to come, both teams have the same amount of points (40) and lie 12th and 13th in the table with both thinking that a win could be the start of a possible late  Play Off push with both 9 points off 6th placed Carlisle and Colchester also have a game in hand over the Cumbrians. For Preston it is the beginning of a massive month with no fewer than 9 games being played with games every Saturday and every Tuesday with some key games like Carlisle and Sheffield Wednesday away and it is these 9 games that will decide whether we are destined for mid table medriocrity or play off contendors, at this moment in time I would say the former, but as games go by and the performances pick up, with this Preston side it is hard to say at the moment, but I would say we need a good haul of points next month because April is going to be a very tough month for Preston as we play the likes of Charlton, Huddersfield, MK Dons and a return to Graham Westleys old team Stevenage on Easter Monday which promises to be a tasty encounter and fingers crossed by then Westley has organised us into a team which is shooting up the table, but the only way is up and at least we are starting to collect points again which means we'll avoid what a few teams relegated from the Championship have done which is get relegated again.

A step too far

Despite what could be arguably the best performance since Graham Westley took over as PNE manager, it wasn't enough as late goals in both the first and second half gave title chasing Sheffield United a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane. Despite a first goal for the club by Graham Cummins and an earlier penalty save by Thorsten Stuckmann, Westley will feel hard done by to have come away from Sheffield empty handed but it was a performance that wasn't lacking in commitment, effort and determination.

Against one of the best attacking forces in the division and one of the leagues best strikers in Ched Evans (who's brace settled the tie in favour of the Blades) Prestons defence performed magnificently with Brown and Robertson performing well. Aaron Browns debut was mixed to say the least, in the first half he was poor and was at fault for the first goal and gave away a needless penalty, but people who have seen the replays said that Brown was perhaps unlucky, but as I haven't seen the replays of the incident yet I can only comment on what I saw as it was down the other end of the pitch. Nicky Hunt again showed why he should be at right back ahead of David Gray with another strong performance as United had no joy down our right hand flank and had to resort to our left hand flank which was where we were weakest, particularly in the first half, but Paul Parry did admirably in the circumstances as Jamie McAllister had to pull out due to injury and it remains to be seen whether his loan spell from Bristol City will be extended or not as the game would have been his last before the loan expired. The game also strongly reinforced the opinion that Thorsten Stuckmann is not only one of the best keepers outside the football league but a dead certainty for player of the season despite only signing at the beginning of November on a short term deal which became longer at the end of 2011, his penalty save against Evans was his sixth since signing and showing how he is an expert when it comes to penalty saving and also pulled off a string of magnificent saves to keep Preston in the game when Sheffield United pushed for a late winner which they unfortunately got with 7 minutes remaining when Evans smashed home from a corner giving Stuckmann no chance only seconds after he made a world class save to stop the ball looping over his head into the net.

Westley said after the game that he felt more satisfied with the display yesterday than the 1-0 win against Hartlepool on Tuesday and I agree with him even though we lost the game. Sheffield United are in formidable form at the moment, even more so at Bramall Lane with one of the best home records in the division and Preston were only 7 minutes from coming away with a very valuable point, the fact that the players got a standing ovation at the end of the game shows how hard the players worked and that they never gave up in what would have been one of the hardest games in the league, it shows a marked improvement already over the Brown era as we lost 5-2 to Charlton and 3-1 at Huddersfield where the players looked lethargic and lazy (just look at Ashbee) whereas the players were committed for the entire game which also shows that slowly but surely, Westleys new methods are starting to work. It is also interesting to note that only Paul Parry and Barry Nicholson were the only people who started both yesterday and in the season opener against Colchester with 7 of the starting line up yesterday being Westley signings with 24 players now having made their debut this season which is a club record.

It was particularly pleasing to see Graham Cummins score his first goal for the club in only his second game (and his second game in 4 months) with a fantastic header to give Preston the lead after 38 minutes and his reaction shows how much it means to him to be scoring in a Preston shirt and it is this sort of attitude that will get Preston moving in the right direction again, and it is a shame that a lot of the players last season didn't have this attitude as then we might not have been in League One in the first place. We started to create more going forward as well which is a positive at a place where away teams don't often score and for most of the second half we were in fact in the ascendancy and were pushing for a winner until the introduction of ex PNE loanee Lee Williamson which changed the game in Uniteds favour. Talking to some United fans after the game and they were very impressed with Holroyd even though he wasn't in his natural position as during the game he started on the right wing and ended on the left wing but he grafted all game long without much reward but he set up Nicky Hunt to cross for our goal and it is only a matter of time before he gets a goal himself which he would deserve as his workrate has been fantastic even though he has spent pretty much all of the time on the wings despite being a natural striker, with defensive responsibilities comes attacking prosperity which will no doubt come soon as attacking movement will start to be worked on more in training

Next up will be Walsall at home next Saturday, it was the reverse fixture where the faults in Browns team started to be exposed after a lacklustre performance saw Preston fall to back to back defeats with a 1-0 loss against a ten man outfit on a sunny October afternoon. It will be another stern test for the young team and back to back home wins would be a very good way to end a very quiet February which has only seen 3 games played due to the weather postponing both Brentford and Tranmere, games which will both be played in March which will mean we will be playing 9 games next month which is every Saturday and Tuesday. It will be these 9 games which decide whether a late play off push is possible or is mid table mediocrity where we'll be in spring, but while progress is slow (which is to be expected) at least things are starting to go in the right direction again.

Fourth time lucky

After 2 defeats and 1 draw, Graham Westley picked up his first victory as Preston manager with a dogged and determined 1-0 win at home to in form Hartlepool. Paul Coutts' solo effort on the opening day of the season was nominated for the goal of 2011, but last night possibly might have put forward an early nomination for the goal of 2012 courtesy of a 25 yard piledriver from Danny Mayor which scorched into the top corner giving Scott Flinders in the Hartlepool net no chance. 

But it would be fair to say that it was hardly a vintage performance from Preston, Hartlepool created the more clear cut chances throughout with Thorsten Stuckmann again pulling off some very good saves to show why he is arguably the signing of the season with his sixth clean sheet in the 17 games he's been at the club which works out at around 16/17 clean sheets in a season (only around 8 short of the club record) which is very impressive given the defensive problems we've had this season after conceding 44 goals in 25 games before Westley was appointed manager which is roughly two goals a game and pretty much no team will get promoted with that sort of record. The new look defence was particularly solid tonight if shaky at times but considering that Chris Robertson and Nicky Hunt were making their debuts, and Jamie McAllister and Alex Marrow have only made a handful of appearances for the team it was a very good showing and given time they (along with the other Preston defenders like the suspended Morgan) will hopefully gel into a very solid defensive unit, something we have lacked since the 2009 Play Off team.

It was very encouraging to see the improved work rate of the players last night as they didn't stop working for 90 minutes, more often than not I have commented on the up and down performances of Adam Barton in my blogs and said how he didn't get stuck in and try to win the ball and get play moving, but last night (for the first time) he actually did these things and was arguably would have got man of the match had it not been for Mayor's match winning strike, it appears that Westley might have put some steel into Barton which is desperately needed as it is obvious that Barton has potential but has seemed too lightweight for that potential to be realised, if he can push on from last night he can be one of the best midfielders at the club. It is also obvious how Westley wasn't lying when he said that fitness levels were starting to improve, it was probably the first time this season where the players didn't look tired after 70 minutes, and this is something that is crucial when defending a 1-0 lead like we did last night, after games like Scunthorpe back in August where the players tired and they eventually got a last minute equaliser, this is a promising sign, it is by no means anywhere near the completed article, but it shows that we've taken the first steps and that progress is being made, no doubt under the previous regime (Brown) we wouldn't have come out of the game with a win as Hartlepool would probably have nicked a goal at the end, which they almost actually did after having a shot cleared off the line and then hitting the post and then narrowly heading wide in stoppage time.

But on Saturday, Westley will face the biggest test of his new look squad as we travel away to second placed Sheffield United who have only lost twice at home all season and with the Steel City Derby the following weekend, they will be keen to ensure they are in the best possible shape going into their biggest game of the season at Hillsborough. For Preston it will be a very formidable task at a ground where we haven't had much luck in recent years having not won at Bramall lane since 1978 with the game being very much a home banker and only the most optomistic fan can see Preston changing that this Saturday, but as Preston have proved at times this season (most notably at MK Dons in December where Preston are still the only team to win at Stadium:MK this season)

It would be completely unfair when talking about yesterday to not mention the very emotional events which ran alongside the football. As many of you are no doubt aware, Jordan Grant unfortunately passed away after suffering a sudden cardial arrest on 4th February, you couldn't have met a much nicer person if you tried and he was one of the most popular person around. The funeral was a very moving and emotional affair and it's a testament to Jordan that the service was completely full, there were people stood up on the sides because they couldn't fit anymore people in. It was also very nice to see Peter Ridsdale and Graham Alexander as well paying their last respects to Jordan, that alone shows what an amazing person he was. The tributes made by the club were fantastic and literally every single person in Deepdale stood to give him a minutes applause when it got to the 17th minute and it's fair to say there were hardly any dry eyes both for the funeral and the tributes during the game. I can't even begin to think what his parents and close friends are going to, but it is a massive loss and Jordan will be sorely sorely missed. Rest in peace mate.

The magnificent seven

11pm marked quite possibly one of the busiest deadline days (and January transfer market) that Preston have had in quite a long time. Since Graham Westley took charge just over 2 weeks ago, he has brought in 7 players: Chris Holroyd, Jamie McAllister, Andy Procter, Alex Marrow, Chris Robertson, Rhys Murphy and Graham Cummins. Overall there were 9 signings as Bunn and Jervis were brought in on New Years, but both have since left with Jervis' month loan not being renenwed and Bunn's loan deal being cancelled for an unknown reason which is slightly mysterious as he was man of the match in his only appearance in a 3-2 victory over Wycombe a few weeks ago.

There were also 2 other depatures from Deepdale with Clarke Carlisles loan being cancelled with the defender now on loan at Northampton for the rest of the season and young striker Juhvel Tsoumou has been loaned out to Plymouth for the rest of the season, I think both deals are beneficial to the club as Carlisle has had a disappointing time at the club, particularly in recent months where he struggled to hold down a place after Preston began sliding down the table and the sacking of Phil Brown as manager in December. Tsoumou hasn't had much of a chance at Preston since signing in August but has got a handful of goals and a loan spell with first team football will do him the world of good and hopefully he comes back a far better player in June.

To replace the outgoing Tsoumou and the injured pairing of Hume and Mellor, Westley brought in Graham Cummins and Rhys Murphy. Murphy is a loan signing from Arsenal until the end of the season and is someone who is held in high regard at the club and is a regular scorer in their reserve team. Cummins scored 42 goals in 62 games in a very prolific spell for Cork City and they were very reluctant to let him sign which can only be good news from a Preston fans perspective. The fact that he described signing for Preston as a dream come true shows that he'll always give 110% playing for the club which is exactly the kind of players we need if we are to start going up this division, if only most of the players last season shared this attitude then maybe we wouldn't be in League One in the first place

With Carlisle being sent back to Burnley and Craig Morgan being suspended for three games after a straight red card in the 2-1 defeat to Yeovil on Saturday it was imperative that we signed a central defender to plug a fairly large gap and Westley was quick to sign Chris Robertson from Torquay, a product of the Sheffield United academy and also Torquays longest serving player and a member of last seasons team that lost in the Play Off final to Westleys Stevenage 1-0 at Old Trafford in May, the 6 foot 3 defender was signed for a fee believed to have been around £50,000 and will provide useful bite into a team which has looked rather lethargic in recent weeks, he can't do a worse job than some of the defending Deepdale has seen recently anyway.