As usual expectations for football fans run high at this time of the season. At Preston we've had a summer of turmoil, winding up order, a take over and lots of new faces and departures on the playing front.
Going back about 20 years or so expectations were also high when we opened the season against Peterborough and were a goal down within 30 seconds that year we struggled. So up to the ground I strolled on a humid Preston saturday and got ready for this years promotion push to the Premier league.
After 18 minutes Doncaster were 2 up not exactly the start you want, after an even opening Donnie took the lead with their first attack, the ball ended up with O'Connor on the right hand side of the box, his shot was going wide until a deflection took it into the net. 5 minutes later a cross from the left fell to Sharp whose effort on goal was well saved by Lonergan but the ball fell well for Hayter who didn't miss.
North End who were slightly injury hit for the first game fought back into tthe game and a cross from Tracey should have been buried into the net by Brown who missed contact with the ball.
Doncaster apart from that scare pass the ball about and rarely looked in trouble in the first half much to the delight of their large travelling support.
The second half brought a couple of early chances for the visitors both were narrowly wide.
After 10 minutes of the 2nd half Coutts was brought on for the home side and for a period of 10 minutes up their game and missed another chance which should have been buried.
The game had been slightly tetchy with a bit of handbags between players 5 having been booked in the first half, there was only one booking in the 2nd half that went to Gillett for a horror of a tackle on Jones, it was his second yellow which gave him a red.
So Donnie were now down to 10 and didn't look in any trouble until a bizarre spell of football near the end of the game when North End contrived to miss 4 absolute sitters, Brown twice, King and Treacey should have done better.
Although he missed his chance King came on and showed pace with 1 run Usain Bolt would have been proud off. When King stepped onto the pitch he was the 1000th player to play for Preston.
Left the ground with the thought that buying a ticket for the Swansea away game next Saturday may not have been the brightest of ideas.
Preston North End 0 Doncaster Rovers 2 Att 12190
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