Preston North End put up little fight as Leicester City romped to the Championship title with a 3-0 win at Deepdale.
North End had kept it fairly tight in the first half before Jamie Vardy scuffed a shot into the corner.
The Lilywhites heads then dropped as they so often do and the second half was a training exercise for Leicester.
Predictable
You’d struggle to find a Preston fan who would have thought this game would have ended in any other manner. As so often seems to be the case we end up watching other teams celebrate success at the end of the season.
Leicester needed a win to secure the title and it would be nice to see Preston have a go for once. Ryan Lowe gives way too much respect to teams like this.
There’s no doubting The Foxes are a quality side. But they’ve also probably been ‘enjoying’ the last couple of days after their promotion was confirmed on Friday.
Preston had nothing to lose but it took until the 73rd minute for a shot on goal and that was from Liam Lindsay.
It was boring, stale, lifeless and Preston fans are sick and tired of this now. After watching countless teams enjoy success in this league in the past you’re left wondering ‘why’s it never us?’
No goals in six of the last seven
It’s been a horrific end to the season yet again for Preston. At the start of April we were in a great place to make a push for the play-offs. Since then we’ve played seven games and only managed to score in one of those.
That was against Huddersfield Town who will be relegated at the weekend.
To be in such a promising position and then just see the season wither away is incredibly frustrating to watch.
We’ve been toothless in attack and just been so passive in games. The mentality of the club has to be questioned. Too many are settling for mediocrity.
Hughes sums up the holiday mode
It’s been said by many that this group of players have been on their holidays for the last few weeks.
The fans turn up all season but why don’t the team? It’s ironic that on the day the club announce season tickets prices for next season the team don’t turn up for a game.
For the second goal Wout Faes; a calamitous defender on his day, was allowed to stroll up the pitch. His shot hit the post and Andrew Hughes decided to stand there whilst Jamie Vardy ran onto the loose ball to smash it home.
Hughes didn’t even see the finish as he had already turn his back on Vardy. Absymal. Browne rightly lambasted him as probably one of his last acts as Preston captain.
An emotional end for Browne?
Cast your minds back to the 1st January 2014. Over 10 years ago. A lot has happened in football and outside of it since then. But that day was when Alan Browne signed for the club.
413 games and 46 goals later, Monday night looked like it was the club captain’s final outing at Deepdale. It wasn’t his finest of performances with emotions perhaps getting the better of him during the game.
The 29-year-old’s contract expires this summer and there are no signs indicating he will sign an extension.
Comments after winning the player of the year award on Sunday pointed towards an exit with the Irishman asking fans to continue backing the team and the club rather than ‘us’.
Browne was taken off towards the end of the game. But it was part of a triple substitution so he didn’t get his moment from the fans at that stage.
With the players doing a traditional lap of thanks after the final home game of the season Browne lingered towards the back.
Accompanied by his family he seemed to take in every moment as he strolled around Deepdale.
He stopped twice at the Town End to clap the fans who have watched him turn from a boy into a man over the last decade.
Browne has given those fans many great memories over the years and is the last member of that 2015 play-off winning squad.
After wiping away tears from his eyes he headed down the Deepdale tunnel for what looks to be the final time.
The post Preston post-match notebook: Dreadful run continues as Alan Browne bids emotional farewell appeared first on Deepdale Digest.