Preston North End was left stunned after a thrilling encounter at Deepdale when they conceded a dramatic injury-time equaliser against promotion-chasing rival Southampton.
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.
Late Heartbreak
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.
💪 The strength.
😮💨 The finish.
💥 The celebration.What a man.#pnefc pic.twitter.com/7zFyy9nick
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) October 26, 2023
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.
