Back from the game -Preston

[heathrow royal]

Have to say it was a deservered point for us today, in our opinion we are missing a proper number 9 though. Credit to Jem who scored screaming FOWLER volley and was man if the match in my opinion. Disappointing to give an easy goal away after poor defending by zurab. Have to agree with the sending off of the Preston lad, but I think we got away with a strong handball claim in the last couple of minutes.

Man of the match = jem karacan

Oh and I am the slim john parkin

[Chaney]

so where do you live?

[heathrow royal]

In a house should of come and said hello at the game

[Pseud O'Nym]

so where do you live?

TBF I don't think it's in the rules that you have to post from home.

[elrey]

I'm posting from home , and back from the match, first time I've seen Reading v. Preston for 20 years and it was a draw way back then too!!!

Preston were not very good, full of running. Their goal was the THIRD bad mistake by the reading defence, Federici having to go at full streach in the first ten minutes was shocking, but Preston were up for this match after their 6-4 win against leeds and they came out of the blocks flying.
I saw them against Norwich, and they did not have many chances. Their left winger Treacy was rubbish in that match and Cummings made him look better than he really was and according the preston fans, lucky to stay on the pitch!!

Their big striker was annoying, he is not very good and attempted to emulate the Reading Goal, only to majorly fluff it, but he was big and strong, nothing more and we needed two on him the whole time when the long balls came in.

Kebe was flying and Reading were unlucky not to have made it two.

[PieEater]

I thought we could have won this game comfortably if we had a better final ball. First half we totally dominated until Zurab's indecision trying to shield the ball out of play gifted them a goal. He had a good shout for a foul, but he should know better to deal with the danger when the ball is in your penalty area.

Second half PNE had a bit more play but never really troubled Fed. Eventually we got the equaliser we deserved with a cracking volley from Jem. One of the few times the loose ball actually fell to one of our players. MOTM for me with Long a close second.

Some further chances for Jobi, Kebe and Pearce but we couldn't find the second goal.

I thought Armstrong had a poor game, he seemed to keep on colliding with his team mates, Cummings borderline ok to scary. Harte's deliveries were much better.

Overall I thought Preston were pretty poor and seemed intent on being the gamesmanship champions, we should have beaten them.

[elrey]

I'm not sure if it was just the final ball we had a problem with, we kept giving the ball away as much as preston, seemed like nobody actually wanted it.

And why could we not play well when they were down to 10, then 9 and back to 10 men?

[handbags_harris]

Agreed pretty much with the heathen. Deserved point and in akk honesty having dominated possession and territory, particularly second half, we should have won. P*ss poor opener, everything under control by Zurab, err, no it wasn't. Woeful, and quite frankly the only way PNE were going to score was through a defensive error because they created f*ck all through their own endeavours. US on the other hand, well they had no answer to McAnuff all game, and Kebe second half. Kebe first half was the Kebe of old, dwelling on the ball, tackled, generally reasonably well marshalled but second half was yet another belting half from him. Callum Davidson won't be roasted like that time and again all season.

Karacan's goal was one of those efforts that gets replayed time and again if Torres, Rooneym whoever big scores it, an absolute belter and was quite funny because Boyband and I were talking before the game about him scoring this game, and my point was a 25 yarder. May as well have been given the angle he was at.

Shane Long won pretty much everything that was pumped at him, and he showed a decent first touch as well and a couple of mighty fine crossfield passes

Couple of honourable mentions must go to te defence who marshalled Jon Parkin and Iain Hume well all game, bar one mishap from Armstrong in midfield and the mishap for the goal. Otherwise they had more than the neasure of all the Preston forward line.

And lastly, the moronic PNE fanbase was out in force again. 13 year old chavs to our right with one bloke in his 40's in the middle of them leading them on. And the whole stadium giving the referee loads of stick. YEs he was sh*t, but ffs he was as bad for us as well, the standout decision being to book Karacan for a foul when he went in for a bouncing ball, volleyed it down the line and was clattered by the PNE player. PNE player goes down, free kick their way, booked Odd decisions fron him all game both ways, he was poor but he wasn't so bad that he needed an escort from the pitch both halves!!

[RFCUK]

A nice cloudy afternoon in Preston shared with a crowd of 10,000. Mainly of which were teenaged Preston fans waiting for their balls to drop.

Pretty uneventful and uninspiring game if I am honest. Though Karacan scored a screamer, goal of the season I would have to say. Living up here, I get the BBC Lancs radio and Darren Ferguson admitted that no one could have stopped it, though the header leading up to it shouldn't have been free for us to take advantage of.

We looked very sloppy at the back with Zurab causing the first goal. Never should a defender try to shield the ball going out of play when it right next to the six yard box. By the corner perhaps, but never that close to goal.

Long had his back to goal pretty much all the time and Church was just a little too slow. Very little shots from us by my reckoning. Kebe looked his usual brilliant but Bambi-ish self. Preston had done their homework and knew the only way to stop him was to bring him down.

The Ref was appalling. A correct decision was never there and too many time he played up to the Preston fans/players when and fair challenge was made.

The 92nd minute penalty shout looked ball to hand to me, but then again I was the other end of the pitch. Ferguson has already said it was a cast iron penalty and couldn't believe it wasn;t given.

Over the international break, we really need some shooting practise. Not just to get thigns on target, but to actually take some shots too..

Great to come away with a point though.

Federici 7
Harte 7
Khizanishvili 6
Pearce 6
Armstrong 6
Karacan 8
McAnuff 7
Kebe 7
Church 6
Long 6

[sandman]

Finally someone's started a back from the game thread. I'm surprised no one thought of it before.

[SLAMMED]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=101254

[RFCUK]

Finally someone's started a back from the game thread.

Depending on your route, it's atleast 210 miles back from Preston, which is going to be atleast three hours. I live in Manchester hencing starting it when I did.

We took around 300 fans, 100 of which were probably on the coaches. I wouldn't expect others to be back until gone eight.

[RFCUK]

My bad..

A nice cloudy afternoon in Preston shared with a crowd of 10,000. Mainly of which were teenaged Preston fans waiting for their balls to drop.

Pretty uneventful and uninspiring game if I am honest. Though Karacan scored a screamer, goal of the season I would have to say. Living up here, I get the BBC Lancs radio and Darren Ferguson admitted that no one could have stopped it, though the header leading up to it shouldn't have been free for us to take advantage of.

We looked very sloppy at the back with Zurab causing the first goal. Never should a defender try to shield the ball going out of play when it right next to the six yard box. By the corner perhaps, but never that close to goal.

Long had his back to goal pretty much all the time and Church was just a little too slow. Very little shots from us by my reckoning. Kebe looked his usual brilliant but Bambi-ish self. Preston had done their homework and knew the only way to stop him was to bring him down.

The Ref was appalling. A correct decision was never there and too many time he played up to the Preston fans/players when and fair challenge was made.

The 92nd minute penalty shout looked ball to hand to me, but then again I was the other end of the pitch. Ferguson has already said it was a cast iron penalty and couldn't believe it wasn;t given.

Over the international break, we really need some shooting practise. Not just to get thigns on target, but to actually take some shots too..

Great to come away with a point though.

Federici 7
Harte 7
Khizanishvili 6
Pearce 6
Armstrong 6
Karacan 8
McAnuff 7
Kebe 7
Church 6
Long 6

[Ian Royal]

You;ve forgotten Cummings... or was he so bad he doesn't warrent a score?

[Slinky]

Overall thought we were ok, probably could have won. The most painfully obvious problem for the side is up front where we continue to give the ball away needlessly. Long has had his chance in my eyes and just moans that he's being fouled, the time has come to give Hunt a start he looked lively and can't offer any less than Long. Church was also poor and looked lost but think he just needs a better partner and some more balls in the box.

Oh and I was impressed with Amstrongs energy after so long and MoM was easily Karachan. FWIW Pearce looked decent at back and Kish made a couple of stupid mistakes which he won't be happy about, especially the goal.

That is all!

[Slinky]

Oh and nearly forgot the brilliant prepubescent singing from the Preston 'lads' next to us as mentioned above by Handbags, not heard such high pitched squeaking since sitting in middle of complimentary section in the old Wembley stadium that was full of school trips! Superb!

[Mr Optimist]

I enjoyed the game and thought we looked the better side with some decent passing and possession in the second half. I felt we could have kicked on and got all three points so felt a little disappointed to only come away with a point.

I thought Armstrong looked fairly decent given the length of time he has been out and was playing out of his more familiar position. Agree with other posts about good games from Jem, Jimmy, Jobi, Shane and I thought Pearce looked pretty solid. Feds had a decent game as well.

The goal was an absolute screamer! Their goal was an absolute gift.

Cheap tickets for kids means you will end up with the spotty oiks being there in numbers to our right. There was a laughable mob of them hanging around after the game who didn't take kindly to me telling them to hurry home because mummy will have the fish fingers under the grill by now.

I also walked along the road back to the car with some Preston old boy who's first comment to me was "I see you brought your own referee with you today". Agree with you totally Handbags and it isn't just the spotty 13 year olds who are deluded ignorant blinkered etc etc.

Preston will be midtable at best this season and i can't help thinking we should have squeezed all 3 points out of that game if we are going to go for the play off places this year.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Were our fans in good voice?

[Mr Optimist]

Were our fans in good voice?

I'd say fairly decent and think there were more than the 300 mentioned earlier, I thought it might be nearer 500.

[RFCUK]

Were our fans in good voice?

I would have to say yes. Rarely a silent moment in our end. Really got behind the team. Preston sounded much like us at home, except they had a clapping sound from all stands as opposed to our North and East stands only.