The ACN Match Review: Preston North End (a) | OneFootball

How did we play?

The two keepers had very little to do for the first 60-70 minutes. It wasn’t quite a 0-0 bore draw, but it had the feel of a Boxing Day tie rather than a normal weekend game. I might sit my kids down to watch the whole thing on Christmas Eve to ensure they get to sleep at a decent hour. 

Solid, is how you could best describe Norwich, but without all that much of a creative outlet. Playing scintillating soccer on a pitch like this one is even harder. It looked like a decent surface for a game in the 1980s, but nowadays it’s a bit of a poor. 

Last time I did this away day, they had a special offer at halftime – two butter pies and 2 pints for a stupidly good price. Needless to say I couldn’t help myself and I spent the rest of the game feeling fairly nauseous. Preston‘s last-minute equalizer wasn’t quite as much of a sicker, but it was harder to stomach.

What was the best bit of the game?

Slim pickings here as Jovon Makama’s superb finish was really the only standout moment of the game. A cracking goal but not so much the best bit, as the only good bit. 

What was the worst bit of the game?

Slim pickings here, as Preston’s agonising, soft-as-mashed-potato goal was really the only standout bad moment. Annoying af all the same. 

What was the atmosphere like?

PNE is one of the first games I look for when the fixtures come out and the allure of a butter pie is strong. Unfortunately, a family bereavement meant attending in person was a last-minute scratch and I watched this one on a stream. A stream where I could hear Chris Goreham clearly but with zero audio of the crowd. It’s a long way of saying I have no idea what the atmosphere was like. Sorry. I can tell you that they really do love Wallace and Gromit at Deepdale, with the (admittedly banging) theme tune serving as the team’s warm up music.

Hero of the match

Makama has seven goals in seven games, the same tally as Sarge. It’s almost like he’s an out-and-out striker, not a winger. A good headache for the Belgian monk when Sarge’s concussion has passed.  

Summary in Five Words

Well, that wasn’t very Christmassy.