06-05-2018, 17:23
Preston North End 2 Robinson, Moult Burton Albion 1 Akpan
PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne (Moult 81), Bodin, Harrop (Gallagher 68), Robinson, Maguire (Barkhuizen 59). Subs (not used): Johnson, Spurr, Earl, Maxwell.
Burton: Bywater, Brayford, McFadzean, Naylor, Flanagan (Dyer 74), Davenport (Bent 61), Sordell, Murphy, Akpan, Akins, Boyce. Subs (not used): Allen, Samuelsen, Buston, Sbarra, Campbell.
Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire)
Attendance: 17,085 (1,969 away)
Our fate was sealed long before the end of this highly entertaining last game, with the Chinese side from Oakwell getting well and truly creamed by Direby, it was just a case of whether Albion could get a decent result against us to stay up.
Until we scored they were probably the better side although rarely testing Rudd between our sticks.
In truth the first 20 minutes little happened until we scored from our first corner Huntington nodded the corner onto Robinson who headed home. The goal changed the game we should have been two up when Robinson got past Burton's high back line advanced on goal squared to Maguire who hit the bar, should have scored, then came a moment that nearly changed the game, Bodin headed home at the back stick, neither the referee or the liner saw anything goal given until Albion protested and after a delay the goal was wiped out and unbeknown to the vast majority of us Bodin got carded.
Albion finally brought a good save from Rudd just before half time and as it was they were going down.
Mr Madley's second intervention came early on ion the second half it got Burton into the game when Bodin went down in the area apparently he dived and got carded again and finshed the season earlier than his team mates.
Game on for Burton against 10 on a roasting hot day, the pressure increased and they drew level from a corner which in truth should have been a free kick to North End, we cleared the ball only to Akpan who scored a non too shabby goal. Burton staying up for now, they could have been ahead Boyce's header went narrowly wide and a header from Bent? brought off a worldie save from Rudd.
By now Albion were playing four up front going for the win but when Bolton scored they were down until Forest replied with two and Albion were staying up. It looked good for them but they still needed to win to make sure, then came two Bolton goals and Clough went for broke with eight forwards and as you would suspect North End had plenty of space to take advantage off, Robinson missed a sitter, before he got clear squared the ball to Moult in acres of space he just about got it home and it was game up for Albion. Credit to them though and also to use with third lowest budget in the division finishing seventh is a tremendous performance promises much for next season.
And with that thanks to Tyler's coaches for letting me see millions of miles of motorways, it's been a pleasure.
Preston manager Alex Neil:
"I've really enjoyed my year and there's much more to come going forward. We are not far away and we have improvement to make.
"We can reflect on the season and reflect on a few things that mean we have come up short, but also with a lot of pride in what we have managed to achieve.
"There are elements we need to improve. What we need is to push it on again and, if we can, improve the squad over the summer.
"I want to get as much as we can get done as early as we can and bring more competition into certain places. Without competition, improvement doesn't take place."
Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough:
"Everybody in the dressing room is really flat as you would expect. There are a lot of upset players in there.
"But we are down and have been relegated because of a reason - over 46 games we haven't been good enough it's as simple as that.
"We just didn't get enough points ultimately, we had too many draws and we wasted too many opportunities across the course of the season.
"What made it worse for us is that it all happened so late. Bolton were always going to be the problem. You always worry when your rivals are playing against a team with nothing to play for."
PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne (Moult 81), Bodin, Harrop (Gallagher 68), Robinson, Maguire (Barkhuizen 59). Subs (not used): Johnson, Spurr, Earl, Maxwell.
Burton: Bywater, Brayford, McFadzean, Naylor, Flanagan (Dyer 74), Davenport (Bent 61), Sordell, Murphy, Akpan, Akins, Boyce. Subs (not used): Allen, Samuelsen, Buston, Sbarra, Campbell.
Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire)
Attendance: 17,085 (1,969 away)
Our fate was sealed long before the end of this highly entertaining last game, with the Chinese side from Oakwell getting well and truly creamed by Direby, it was just a case of whether Albion could get a decent result against us to stay up.
Until we scored they were probably the better side although rarely testing Rudd between our sticks.
In truth the first 20 minutes little happened until we scored from our first corner Huntington nodded the corner onto Robinson who headed home. The goal changed the game we should have been two up when Robinson got past Burton's high back line advanced on goal squared to Maguire who hit the bar, should have scored, then came a moment that nearly changed the game, Bodin headed home at the back stick, neither the referee or the liner saw anything goal given until Albion protested and after a delay the goal was wiped out and unbeknown to the vast majority of us Bodin got carded.
Albion finally brought a good save from Rudd just before half time and as it was they were going down.
Mr Madley's second intervention came early on ion the second half it got Burton into the game when Bodin went down in the area apparently he dived and got carded again and finshed the season earlier than his team mates.
Game on for Burton against 10 on a roasting hot day, the pressure increased and they drew level from a corner which in truth should have been a free kick to North End, we cleared the ball only to Akpan who scored a non too shabby goal. Burton staying up for now, they could have been ahead Boyce's header went narrowly wide and a header from Bent? brought off a worldie save from Rudd.
By now Albion were playing four up front going for the win but when Bolton scored they were down until Forest replied with two and Albion were staying up. It looked good for them but they still needed to win to make sure, then came two Bolton goals and Clough went for broke with eight forwards and as you would suspect North End had plenty of space to take advantage off, Robinson missed a sitter, before he got clear squared the ball to Moult in acres of space he just about got it home and it was game up for Albion. Credit to them though and also to use with third lowest budget in the division finishing seventh is a tremendous performance promises much for next season.
And with that thanks to Tyler's coaches for letting me see millions of miles of motorways, it's been a pleasure.
Preston manager Alex Neil:
"I've really enjoyed my year and there's much more to come going forward. We are not far away and we have improvement to make.
"We can reflect on the season and reflect on a few things that mean we have come up short, but also with a lot of pride in what we have managed to achieve.
"There are elements we need to improve. What we need is to push it on again and, if we can, improve the squad over the summer.
"I want to get as much as we can get done as early as we can and bring more competition into certain places. Without competition, improvement doesn't take place."
Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough:
"Everybody in the dressing room is really flat as you would expect. There are a lot of upset players in there.
"But we are down and have been relegated because of a reason - over 46 games we haven't been good enough it's as simple as that.
"We just didn't get enough points ultimately, we had too many draws and we wasted too many opportunities across the course of the season.
"What made it worse for us is that it all happened so late. Bolton were always going to be the problem. You always worry when your rivals are playing against a team with nothing to play for."
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?