the dip has come

[basingstokie]

Being realistic we all knew we wouldn't go through the rest of the season without dropping points.

The question is - is this a one off or does it mark the start of the fall away of our challenge.

If the players can give it 'what for' to QPR on Sunday then I think we will really push on to new heights, but if we struggle in the next couple of games then you have to wonder whether we will get to the promised land.

[BangorStokie]

thats a bit of negative comment

i feel last nite's result could be blessing in disguise, its a reality check that we cant get carried away and to win the league everyone needs to up their work-rate

[Linx]

On any other night we'd have won that game with the number of chances we had. Just a bad night at the office.

[lancer]

Let's be honest. Preston were the better team on the night, and earned the win. Probably because stoke were absolutely, unbelievably poor on the night.
True, their second goal came from very poor defending from a free kick that wasn't, and their first goal was down to poor Stoke defending.
WE just didn't turn up on the night, and PNE were up for it.
That aside, that is the worst performance I have seen in many, many years of watching football at all levels. The referee really should have worn a white shirt.
The fact that he didn't even go down the pitch to check on Cort before he was stretered of was an absolute disgrace, and emphasised in his total ineptitude. He had a duty to check on Cort, if only to take his name for the match report.
A bad result, but not one we can't get over. All those around us in the league will have nights like it, but quite homestly, we were poor.
MOM Mr. Oliver of Preston.

[hippa_potter_muss]

Lancer did you go to the game, I didn't but from the highlights I've seen and the commentary on the radio it seems to me we were better than Preston on the night but just couldn't finish for shit. We made all the chances in the second half not to mention the dick of a ref we had to put up with.

[Davef]

Cannot agree at all that we were that poor. We created chance after chance and I honestly feel that had LL scored at the beginning of the second half we'd have built up the momentum to win the game.

In fact, had we taken just half of our chances last night we'd have probably won the game.

I was actually expecting us to drop a couple of points in those three homes games, so to win all three was a real bonus. Had we drawn against Ipswich on Saturday and gained a point at Preston I'd have considered it a decent points haul from recent games, so it's hardly worth getting too agitated about.

It is important that we bounce back though and we must get something on Sunday.

[jacksscfc]

I think the result last night will give us the kick up the arse we need. Yes we lost but we all knew that we wouldn't win or draw all the remaining matches, and it's better to lose away than at Home.
We are still in the box seat with the other teams needing to catch us (they have to win their games in hand).

Whatever happens we are still in a fantastic position and if we don't go up automatically we will still have the playoffs, so lets not get to downhearted

Lets get behind the team and show them that whatever happens we will be there with them.

[Deleted]

Whilst we weren't at our best we had enough chances to win 3 games, and I'm talking clearcut chances.

Preston are better than their position suggest IMO and it was always going to be tough, but it was definitely "one of those nights"

[Menorca Stokie]

Basingstokie,

I had the same feeling after the Charlton game and was amazed at the character of the team. To then win the next 5 was fantastic and I just have this feeling that we'll bounce bak once more.

I can't see us not loosing again this season so there is always going to be the odd hicup but Tony seems to have them fired up.

I'm predicting a draw for Sunday and back to winning ways against Burnley.

eeeeeeeieeeeeeeeeeieeeeeeeeeeeio....and all that.

[Dr Oetcake]

Lets hope so..... we need a new face to freshen things up a bit...