[themaclad]

Preston North End 1 Hyam og Blackburn Rovers 1 Szmodics

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Bauer (Woodburn, 76), Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, Onomah (Delap, 83), Johnson (McCann, 70), Fernández; Cannon, Parrott. Subs not used: Cornell, Lindsay, Ledson, Slater.

Blackburn Rovers line-up: Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, Morton (Brittain, 89), A. Wharton; Thomas (Hedges, 45), Szmodics (S. Wharton, 89), Dolan (Brereton-Diaz, 45). Subs not used: Kaminski, Dack, Garrett.

Attendance: 20,721 (4,932 Blackburn Rovers fans).

Referee: Mr R Jones.

A game which really both sides needed to win ended up as a draw probably terminal to our play off hopes but if we can't do it we'll take them with us.
To be honest Rovers probably deserved the three points but in recent weeks have had a habit of conceding at the end of games and guess what it happened again.
Overall thoroughly entertaning game in front of a raucous crowd had the traditional flares on the pitch plus the usual bell end pitch invader

FIRST HALF

End to end first half, although saying that there were few attempts on goal mainly down to outstanding defending at both ends.
Cannon fired a first time effort after good work by big Josh down the right, Parrott got into a great position but sheer weight of numbers combned to stop him
Rovers had one effort Travis forced a decent save from Woodman although if it had gone in there would have been complaints as there had been a blatant hand ball down the other end of the pitch which was missed.
The returning Pat Bauer had a good first half in his first start since the reverse meeting in December, adds a bit of calm does the German.

SECOND HALF

Two changes for Rovers at half times Hedges and the Chilean from Stoke On Trent, apart from a five minute spell where we had a succession of corners which led to Bauer having a header cleared from the line it was all one way towards our goal.
With the two substitutions Rovers added width to the team and having a left footed winger in the shape of Hedges on the right wing caused us issues, only a briliant clearence by Whiteman saved us from a possible goal.
Rovers had the ball in the net on the hour, disallowed due to Szmodics punching it in duly booked for a balatant bit of gamesmanship.
Travis missed horribly and Rankin-Costello fired wide from a good position.
We made changes went to a back four and promptly conceded, to be fair the aforementioned Szmodics finish was quality curling it passed Woodman into the far corner.
Just before the end McCann denied by Pears good save by the keeper
Almost the end of our play off hopes but then came 15 seconds which just about kept the dream alive, Hedges in absolutely miles of space one on one with Woodman gently chipped the ball ino the keeper's hands, Woodman cleared down field Potts header on to Delap who got goal side of the defender, his cross was majestically diverted past his own keeper by Hyam bit harsh on them but as they say life's a bitch at the end of a belting game players from both sides slumped to the floor both teams seemed to be aware of the implications of the result