14-04-2018, 23:19
Queens Park Rangers 1 Smith Preston North End 2 Robinson 2 apparently
QPR: Ingram, Furlong, Baptiste, Robinson, Bidwell, Manning, Luongo, Cousins, Osayi-Samuel (Smyth 61), Eze, Smith (Sylla 61). Subs (not used): Freeman, Scowen, Wszlek, Kakay, Smithies.
PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne, Bodin (Gallagher 62), Johnson (Harrop 62) Barkhuizen, Robinson (Horgan 90). Subs (not used): Davies, Earl, Moult, Maxwell.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside) Attendance: 13,760 (1,257 PNE)
Classic North End lull the opponents into thinking we are totally clueless and for 35 minutes we were not even that good and then step it up and win fairly comfortably in the end.
On a warm spring day North End took three vital points with a win over QPR as per usual we were a goal down before 15 minutes had been played, thought it was a soft free kick that led to it but more on Mr Jones later. The free kick was initially cleared but Bidwell pumped the ball to the back stick were only the giant Smith was, he scored with ease, poor one to conceded. They could have been two down shortly afterwards but Manning's header was well saved by Rudd. North End reaction was to hammer the ball skywards in the hope that our small forwards would win headers against taller defenders, strangely it didn't work and it wasn't until an incident just before half time that we started to turn things around. Ingram the home keeper brought down Browne outside the area after a clearance had been charged down by Browne. Yellow card for Ingram we wasted the free kick. Didn't matter though we got a vital goal just before the break, Bodin fed Fisher down the right, Robinson mishit shot just about dribbled across the line.
Second half Rangers faded badly probably coincided with the removal of Smith who had caused us trouble all afternoon, we grew in confidence had a goal disallowed when Clarke was adjudged offside. We started to get into decent positions and from a free kick we took the lead, Gallagher took Browne headed it towards goal and Robinson has been credited with the goal. We were not really threatened after that although the home fans thought they should have had about three penalties, which brings me to Mr Jones.
He is a bit crap to say the least, we had him against Wolves he was bad then and he hasn't improved since then.
Still in with this play off malarkey, think the boys are teasing us, Norwich next up which I'll miss time for bat and ball again.
North End have had to claw their way back from behind on several occasions this season, and having done so twice in one week, Alex Neil believes it’s no coincidence that his side have the knack of turning it around.
Speaking to iFollow after the game, the manager believes his side’s never say die attitude is paramount on the occasions when North End have come from behind and won the game, just like they did today.
He said: “We’re a resilient team and we’re never beaten until the game’s over. If I’m being honest I was disappointed first half. We didn’t play well enough first half and I separate performance from results quite a lot because I think the better we play in terms of performances, you’ll pick up more points.
“I thought in the first half however that we didn’t pick up second balls enough and we went too direct too early for me. I had a good chat at half-time about how we normally play and the way we want to go about it and to be fair to the lads for the whole of the season they’ve responded and I thought the second half performance was excellent and it’s meant that we’ve won the game.
“There’s very few games this year where we’ve played poorly and won the game. We’re at that stage now that because we’ve got a method of how we want to play, we need to carry it out and pass the ball well. Our passing first half was poor and we needed to pick up second balls better. We didn’t keep the ball at the top end of the pitch. But credit to the lads - in the second half we did the exact opposite. We showed a bit more bravery in terms of receiving the ball in the right areas and there was some really good performances second half.
“I said to them at half-time they’ve been really poor and the fact it was 1-1 was excellent as far as we were concerned. Now we’ve got a great opportunity of playing better and winning the game in the second half and that’s exactly what we’ve done. “
Two wins in two games in less than seven days have meant that the Lilywhites have brought their way back into contention of a Play-Off spot after a difficult start to the month, and the gaffer divulge to iFollowPNE after the game what his, and his side’s mindset will be going into the final three games of the season.
“Whatever happens elsewhere - if we don’t win - it doesn’t matter because we’re not going to get near the Play-Offs if we don't come out with three points.
“What we’ve managed to do is win our last two games and strangely enough, I actually think we probably played better over the three games prior to that then the two games we won but that’s football for you and it’s a strange game. It’s down to three points at the moment, we’ll try and win the next one and see where that takes us.
“The fans were fantastic as well and there’s nothing better when they come down, they have a great day, we get the win and everybody can go home happy.
QPR: Ingram, Furlong, Baptiste, Robinson, Bidwell, Manning, Luongo, Cousins, Osayi-Samuel (Smyth 61), Eze, Smith (Sylla 61). Subs (not used): Freeman, Scowen, Wszlek, Kakay, Smithies.
PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne, Bodin (Gallagher 62), Johnson (Harrop 62) Barkhuizen, Robinson (Horgan 90). Subs (not used): Davies, Earl, Moult, Maxwell.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside) Attendance: 13,760 (1,257 PNE)
Classic North End lull the opponents into thinking we are totally clueless and for 35 minutes we were not even that good and then step it up and win fairly comfortably in the end.
On a warm spring day North End took three vital points with a win over QPR as per usual we were a goal down before 15 minutes had been played, thought it was a soft free kick that led to it but more on Mr Jones later. The free kick was initially cleared but Bidwell pumped the ball to the back stick were only the giant Smith was, he scored with ease, poor one to conceded. They could have been two down shortly afterwards but Manning's header was well saved by Rudd. North End reaction was to hammer the ball skywards in the hope that our small forwards would win headers against taller defenders, strangely it didn't work and it wasn't until an incident just before half time that we started to turn things around. Ingram the home keeper brought down Browne outside the area after a clearance had been charged down by Browne. Yellow card for Ingram we wasted the free kick. Didn't matter though we got a vital goal just before the break, Bodin fed Fisher down the right, Robinson mishit shot just about dribbled across the line.
Second half Rangers faded badly probably coincided with the removal of Smith who had caused us trouble all afternoon, we grew in confidence had a goal disallowed when Clarke was adjudged offside. We started to get into decent positions and from a free kick we took the lead, Gallagher took Browne headed it towards goal and Robinson has been credited with the goal. We were not really threatened after that although the home fans thought they should have had about three penalties, which brings me to Mr Jones.
He is a bit crap to say the least, we had him against Wolves he was bad then and he hasn't improved since then.
Still in with this play off malarkey, think the boys are teasing us, Norwich next up which I'll miss time for bat and ball again.
North End have had to claw their way back from behind on several occasions this season, and having done so twice in one week, Alex Neil believes it’s no coincidence that his side have the knack of turning it around.
Speaking to iFollow after the game, the manager believes his side’s never say die attitude is paramount on the occasions when North End have come from behind and won the game, just like they did today.
He said: “We’re a resilient team and we’re never beaten until the game’s over. If I’m being honest I was disappointed first half. We didn’t play well enough first half and I separate performance from results quite a lot because I think the better we play in terms of performances, you’ll pick up more points.
“I thought in the first half however that we didn’t pick up second balls enough and we went too direct too early for me. I had a good chat at half-time about how we normally play and the way we want to go about it and to be fair to the lads for the whole of the season they’ve responded and I thought the second half performance was excellent and it’s meant that we’ve won the game.
“There’s very few games this year where we’ve played poorly and won the game. We’re at that stage now that because we’ve got a method of how we want to play, we need to carry it out and pass the ball well. Our passing first half was poor and we needed to pick up second balls better. We didn’t keep the ball at the top end of the pitch. But credit to the lads - in the second half we did the exact opposite. We showed a bit more bravery in terms of receiving the ball in the right areas and there was some really good performances second half.
“I said to them at half-time they’ve been really poor and the fact it was 1-1 was excellent as far as we were concerned. Now we’ve got a great opportunity of playing better and winning the game in the second half and that’s exactly what we’ve done. “
Two wins in two games in less than seven days have meant that the Lilywhites have brought their way back into contention of a Play-Off spot after a difficult start to the month, and the gaffer divulge to iFollowPNE after the game what his, and his side’s mindset will be going into the final three games of the season.
“Whatever happens elsewhere - if we don’t win - it doesn’t matter because we’re not going to get near the Play-Offs if we don't come out with three points.
“What we’ve managed to do is win our last two games and strangely enough, I actually think we probably played better over the three games prior to that then the two games we won but that’s football for you and it’s a strange game. It’s down to three points at the moment, we’ll try and win the next one and see where that takes us.
“The fans were fantastic as well and there’s nothing better when they come down, they have a great day, we get the win and everybody can go home happy.
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?