Steven Schumacher credits Preston North End trait despite Plymouth Argyle frustration

Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher credited Preston North End’s defensive qualities in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat for his team.

The Pilgrims were beaten in their first meeting with PNE for 13 years. Duane Holmes opened the scoring inside a minute before debutant Liam Millar scored a fine solo goal on 25 minutes. Plymouth went in at the break two down, having failed to make opportunities of their own count.

They pulled one back through Ryan Hardie just after the hour and set up a tense finish, but PNE saw the three points over the line and returned to top spot in the Championship. Schumacher - former assistant of Preston boss Ryan Lowe and his good friend too - felt promoted Plymouth were more than a match for the Lilywhites.

"I'm obviously disappointed to lose the game,” said Schumacher, post-match. “I felt our performance probably didn't deserve to lose the game. We have come away from home again, we have played really well and caused the top of the table team in Preston North End loads of problems and found ourselves coming away with nothing. So I'm really disappointed, but I'm also proud and pleased with the players' performance because we were brave today. Even after going one-nil down after 40 seconds we were brave to keep playing, and we were more than a game for these.

“Preston are a really difficult team to score against, that's why they have only conceded four all season - two from open play - but I don't know whether they have had many games this season where the opposition have created as many chances as we did. But credit to them, credit to Ryan and his staff, for getting them organised, they get people in the way. They block shots, they block crosses, they put their body on the line and they have got a top goalie. We did everything we possibly could and it just wasn't our day.”

To the club’s official website, he added: “I felt, on the balance, we were probably the better team. Preston do what they do. They defended really well, the goalkeeper made some great saves and they were clinical with a couple of their chances that they had. It’s disappointing to get beaten, but we’ve come away from it again with loads of confidence that we're in these big games and we don't look as though we don't belong here. Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and say that's really good play.

“For their right wing-back to hit the ball on the half volley, 50 or 60 yards, across the other side of the pitch, right to their man, it's good play. The ball bounced to their player, could have gone to one of ours, but it's gone to theirs from a cross and he scored. We didn't let our heads drop, we just stuck to the game plan, kept trying to play it our way, knowing it would cause Preston loads of problems. I don't know whether they've had any harder games than that this season. We got into the final third and into their box so many times.”