[themaclad]

Attendance: 16,857 (3,525 Birmingham City fans).

Referee: Lewis Smith.

A frustrating evening for the home side, often let down by the quality of the final ball into the box, just couldn't fiind a way through a well organised Birmingham defence, put them under siege for the last 30 minutes but to no avail.
To be fair though the visitors could have been out of sight Stansfield hit a post, also fired narrowly wide and a Tomoki effort which just cleared the bar.
Jebbison had our best effort after robbing keeper Beadle on the touch line advancing into the box and having his goalbound shot cleared.
Entertaining affair, both sides giving as good as they got, add into the heady mix, Mr Lewis Smith, the hapless official, where do you start, an early booking for Smith after a City defender's scream broke the sound barrier. Whiteman elbowed in the face going for a header in the box, seen them given.
Now City's goal, no t a free kick in the first place, Neumann scores although he was probably offside and put it in with his hand apart from that it's fine.
Following the goal Koumas effeort was cleared from the line following some less than impressive defending by us.
Back to Mr Smith, he saves the best one to the latter stages of the game Dobbin brought down by Cashin, who in the words of the commentary did not get the ball
Final seconds IOsmajic gets cleaned out by the keeper,possibly Beadle may have got a touch to the ball but it is now history.
Manager has a mega rant after game, no doubt ban incoming and a probable apology for the Ref's official organisation. Get another go against the upwardly mobile Blades on Friday

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom was left with frustrated with decisions he felt went against his side in a 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City.

Phil Neumann’s controversial 33rd-minute goal was the difference between the two sides at Deepdale. North End had a couple of penalty shouts turned down in the second half and ultimately couldn’t find a leveller attacking the Town End to earn a point.

Hecky said: “First and foremost, I’m really proud of the performance and the team. We dominated the game, continually pushing to try and score.

“It’s another game where our goalkeeper's not had a save to make and we've come away with nothing. It’s really frustrating, but I’m really proud of the players.

“I wasn't going to say anything about the referee until I've been in there. When I look at things back, [the build-up for] their goal a free-kick is given for Odel (Offiah) brushing Keshi Anderson in the face. Odel’s come away with the ball with a great tackle. He’s brushed him in the face, he goes down holding his face, they get a free-kick. Their lad scores with his arm.

“There's frustration but then Milly (Milutin Osmajić) gets flattened by their goalkeeper. He’s punched in the face, he's saying it's not a penalty because the ‘keeper got some of the ball. Odel got all of the ball and came away with the ball, he’s brushed the lad in the face. Milly gets a punch in the face.

“Ben Whiteman gets not just a brush in the face but an elbow in the face. He wins a header in their box and gets elbowed in the face and knocked to the floor. We had Sam Greenwood sent off for that last season so there's two penalties there.

“We had Lewis Dobbin get on the side of [Eiran] Cashin. Cashin links his arm around Lewis and drags him to the floor. It’s another penalty so this has to stop.

“I need to get the referees in again and see what they think about it because we're getting punished for being a really good team. We want to play on the front foot and be aggressive in our style. We don't squeal like the rest of the teams.

“The players have prepared great for it. We've got everything right in how we set up in terms of stopping them, trying to create against them and dominate against them. We did it but then the officials didn't get their job right.”

DAVIES

Blues ran out 1-0 winners at Deepdale as Phil Neumann’s first goal for the club gave the visitors a first win in five games.
It was a good performance from Davies’ side on the road, who created chances to double the lead, namely when Tomoki Iwata hit the post in the second half.
Preston, who were unbeaten at home coming into the game, pushed Blues back late on as they sought an equaliser, but the visitors held firm to defend resolutely and keep a clean sheet.
And Davies was full of praise for his players as they bounced back from defeat against Hull City to claim three points in the Sky Bet Championship.

“It was a really good win for us, and a really spirited performance,” he said. “To start the game like did was really good away from home, against a team that’s been in form, but I thought we were strong and aggressive.
“We were also bright in possession and looked a threat going forward and we got a goal because of that.
“Naturally, as the game went on, we had to defend together as a team, take our chances on the counter attack and generally we did that really well.
“The players did realty well tonight, and defensively when we had to dig in we were solid.
“We’ve got spirit. Even in the games we’ve sadly lost, we have pushed right to the very end, and we never give in.
“We keep going, we’ve had a few late winners, and with spirit you have a great chance as a football team.”