Tactics at home just not working, says Preston fan Tim Mercer

It’s never nice to hear, and yes is probably counterproductive, but I do understand the frustration that underpins it.

It was made worse on this occasion by North End conceding a second giveaway goal in the dying seconds of the half’s stoppage time to add to Robbie Brady’s mistake just six minutes in for the opener.

Ched Evans pulled a goal back in the second half, but Preston still fell short by time of the final whistle to ensure leaving the stadium in daylight for the first time this winter did not lighten my mood as it normally does.

Ryan Lowe is right to call out the abusive element in his post-match interviews, but he must also accept that the style and tactics deployed at home are just not working.

We have struggled all season to muster a convincing threat in our forward play, with it feeling laboured and too slow to unsettle the opposition.

Away from home, swift counterattacks have brought their reward to give us one of the best records in the division and is the only reason we are not currently stuck with rivals Blackpool at the wrong end of the table. Something needs to change, but it is not easy to put your finger on it.

Lowe opted to start with three strikers up top, with on-loan players Tom Cannon and Liam Delap either side of Evans, in an attempt to get an early breakthrough and ease the pressure.

This did lead to some decent opportunities in the opening few minutes that included Cannon looking good to break his duck with a close-range header from an Alan Browne cross.

However, the visiting keeper Max O’Leary made the first of several fine saves and the momentum was lost only a minute later as the hosts conceded unnecessarily from a Bristol counterattack.

Brady got to the ball before an advancing Robins player but badly under hit his back pass to let him in and around keeper Freddie Woodman for an easy goal.

Another save by O’Leary, this time a reflex stoppage down low to his right, denied Evans a headed equaliser before more poor defending late in the half gave away the second from another counterattack resulting in a whipped-in cross and tap-in.

Cue the boos as the players left the field, with a lot of it appearing to be hurled in Lowe’s direction.

Preston did try and get back into the match in the second half, with O’Leary saving a better attempt by Cannon, who may well count himself as a bit unlucky not to open his account this time around.

The one mistake their keeper did make, in spilling a Ryan Ledson strike, allowed Evans in to reduce the deficit and at least ensure there was a fighting chance of getting something from the game.

It meant a late flurry and some huffing and puffing, but all led to nothing as Bristol saw out the match to continue their recent good form and leave a Preston side scratching their heads again over what might have been.

Afterwards I overheard some fans dreading the short trip next Saturday into deepest, darkest East Lancashire for the derby with Burnley.

With some gallows humour kicking-in, I couldn’t help remarking that at least it was away and may therefore be a temporary upset to the Clarets’ seemingly unstoppable run to the title. We can but hope.