First-half display was simply not good enough from City

ON the back of two of the worst performances in the last few seasons – Rotherham away and Millwall at home – I really thought we would show an intensity and desire at Preston North End. I hoped Dean Holden would have the lads fired up and playing front-foot football to end the Preston hoodoo which has hung over us for far too long. Preston had been on a poor run at home and would surely be lacking in confidence, but then, sadly, so are we.

Holden opted to recall Callum O’Dowda and Zak Vyner to his starting line-up with Adrian Mariappa and Tyreeq Bakinson dropped to the bench. With Famara Diedhiou suspended following his sending off on Tuesday, experienced attacking options were limited and Holden named attacking youngster Sam Pearson on the bench alongside four other players from the Under-23s – Opi Edwards, Ryley Towler, Sam Bell and Zak Smith. I’m not making excuses, but that bench highlights just how thin our squad is right now and I, for one, won’t be judging Holden until he has some of the ten first-teamers back available.

But, even given the fact we are so short in numbers and experience, and this is such a tough league, you still have to show the basic fundamentals. Not showing the effort, desire, running and being able to pass a ball ten yards is the least that, as fans, we can expect and Holden has to get his formation and line-up better prepared to start games, whatever the personnel.

There really wasn’t much to write home about in the first half for City. The only real talking point was the penalty given away by Taylor Moore on 21 minutes. Scott Sinclair’s theoretical dive was a joke and something that is all too familiar in the modern game and the ref gave the penalty. Whether Taylor got something on the ball was not obvious to see, but he did catch Sinclair, so as soft as it was, it was a penalty for me.

The second half was much improved and we deserved something from the game. Antoine Semenyo caused Alex Neil’s side problems and their right-back should really have seen red when, having been booked, he caught Semenyo. Had it been his first challenge I think he would have been booked but as it was the second the ref showed leniency, which is infuriating. Who knows if that would have changed the result but we were certinly on top.