Neil: We have to bounce back
ALEX Neil concedes that Preston may need to beat top-six rivals Derby tomorrow to keep their waning play-off hopes alive following a heavy defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.
With Sheffield United and Bristol City dropping points, a win would have put Preston into the play-off spots.
But instead, Wednesday showed incredible improvement after a poor and goalless first half to run roughshod over North End.
Neil said: “We’re at that judgement time of the season now where the performances we’ve put in to get ourselves to this point, we really need to continue and even go on another level to what we’ve delivered so far.
“I’ve been in this situation before. In the two promotions I’ve managed to achieve, we’ve lost games at crucial times of the season and then what’s hapPlaying pened is we’ve responded afterwards and come back even stronger. For us to have any hope of being in the contention for this season, we’re going to have to do the same.
“To be honest we knew Monday’s game, regardless of the result here, was going to carry a lot of weight, whether you win it or lose it.”
The only real chance of the first half came in injury-time, with Preston’s Ben Davies heading into Joe Wildsmith’s hands.
A half-time tactical switch by Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay transformed the game from scrappy and bad-tempered to open and exciting.
in a 3-4-3 instead of the first half’s 3-5-2, Wednesday raced into what would prove to be an insurmountable lead with two goals in as many minutes.
Atdhe Nuhiu got the first, converting Jack Hunt’s cross into the box with a good low strike.
Substitute Lucas Joao made it two with an impeccable 18-yard looping header over the stranded Declan Rudd, courtesy of Barry Bannan’s pinpoint centre.
Preston had good chances to get back into the game but squandered the first two. First, Sean Maguire couldn’t control Tom Barkhuizen’s cross well enough to take an easy finish.
Barkhuizen’s hard work again came to nothing as his excellent cross into the box was turned against the post by Wednesday’s Hunt.
Neil saw the need for a change and his choices proved inspired as double-subs Daniel Johnson and Louis Moult combined to allow the latter to tap in his first PNE goal.
Preston’s attempts to push for an equaliser allowed Wednesday chances on the break, and after the returning Fernando Forestieri had a shot blocked on the line in injury-time, Nuhiu gave and received a short corner before curling a beautiful leftfooted wonder-strike into the far top corner.
Forestieri marked his first appearance since August with a goal in the 96th minute, delicately dinking a 25-yard free kick over the wall and into the bottom corner.
Luhukay said: “I was not afraid for the games that we have and that we maybe stay in the league.
“I always believe in what I see every day and I believe in my players.
“Now we are in a positive situation, but we have seven games to go and Monday is a new important game for us.
“Maybe we come back from Sunderland also with a good result.”