After the excellent display against Southend Waddo didn’t feel the need to make any changes and the same sixteen were on duty for this one. Paul Jones was in goal behind Rose, Stewart, Rehman and Milanese. The midfield comprised of Ainsworth, Rowlands, Ward and Cook with Blackstock and Ray Jones up top.

Rangers couldn’t have started the game any better and found themselves ahead with barely five minutes on the watch. Rangers had made a bit of a mess of a corner already with Ward knocking it short to Cook but the ball was cleared. They won another corner immediately though and this time Cook took the kick. His ball into the box was flicked on by a gaggle of four players and it headed towards Ainsworth. He allowed the ball to come over his shoulder before toeing a volley past Carlo Nash and in.

Before the quarter hour mark Rangers were dealt a blow when Rowlands hit the deck and immediately signalled to the bench for assistance. There didn’t seem to be much in the incident but it looks to be another blow for a man that has been so unlucky with injuries this past couple of seasons. He had started the season in fine style and it will be terrible if he is missing for a prolonged period again. Steve Lomas came on to take his place and offer something different in midfield.

Rangers were dominating last seasons play off semi finalists and Nicky Ward whipped a shot wide of Nash’s goal. At the other end the ever dangerous David Nugent was being well shackled by a combination of Rehman and Stewart. The latter was proving to be dominant partner and was certainly having his finest game in an R’s shirt.

Five minutes before the scheduled half time interval Preston full back Kelvin “Bloody” Wilson went in for a block tackle with Lee Cook and came off decidedly second best. I am not sure whether Cookie has ever tackled someone as hard as that but Wilson was stretchered off with what looks like medial ligament damage. It should be said though that there was no hint of a foul, it was just an unfortunate thing that sometimes happens.

The long delay seemed to dent the Rangers concentration levels and after Blackstock fired straight at Nash Preston ended the half with two excellent chances for Nugent. Firstly too much space was allowed to Wilson’s replacement, Alan McCormack, and he flighted in a ball to the far post. Nugent rose highest to plant a header into the bottom corner and he must have thought he had scored before Jones flew low to his right to produce another in his catalogue of brilliant saves.

Then Matt Hill and Danny Pugh combined on the left to easily get the better of Rose and send a ball to the near post that was attacked by Rehman and Nugent. The PNE striker got there first and flicked a shot over the top. Rehman stayed down and it appeared that he may have thrown his delicates in the way to put Nugent off!

After the five minutes of injury had time had passed the teams went in with Rangers deserving of their lead after dominating much of the half. You knew that Preston would surely have to improve though after the break and Simpson appeared to have got his guys going.

Rangers didn’t bother with their usual post half time warm up and they looked to be on the back foot as Simon Whaley tested Jones with a shot straight at him from the edge of the area. Rangers came back with the ever lively Ward bursting thorough and firing wide when he perhaps should have slipped a ball into the path of an excellent run from Blackstock. This will be something that Ward picks up on soon enough as he gets used to a style of play that is perhaps a little more team orientated than that he saw at Perth.

Pugh replied for Preston with a long range shot that was once again easily fielded by Jones. Everything Preston sent goalward seemed to be coming from long distance. They just couldn’t penetrate Rehman and Stewart’s line and the two big centre backs were definitely adopting the safety first approach. The front ten rows of the Preston fans were certainly taking some incoming fire!

Pugh should have done better with an effort from close range but he missed the target before Rangers fashioned a rare clear cut chance in the second half from another excellent set piece delivery from Cook. His right wing corner was flicked on toward Ainsworth and his close range effort was deflected up onto the roof of the net.

Ray Jones picked up a knock after flinging himself into the path of another Pugh strike and he was replaced by Gallen with eight minutes to go. Gallen tried to curl a delicate shot past Nash late on but the ball wouldn’t come back in time.

Preston had made some attacking changes with left back Hill being replaced with winger Lewis Neal and winger Sedgwick replaced with striker Agyemang. It was Neal that provided the ball that led to the PNE equaliser. He ran toward Rose and for some reason he allowed him to push him back and when the space was there in went the ball. Paul McKenna had charged from the middle of the park with Ward in hot pursuit but the home skipper met the ball with a placed header into the corner and they were back on terms.

Referee Pike added on a further five minutes injury time in the second half and during this period Ainsworth seemed to tweak something trying to send in a cross. Baidoo replaced him for the final few moments but there were no further chances to be had.

As I said at the start, if you had offered us a point before the game we would have snatched your hand off but when you ship a late goal it is so frustrating. Credit must go to Rehman and Stewart for the way they kept a lid on a lively front two of Whaley and Nugent. Both players have great pace and movement and the fact that they had barely four sights of goal between them bodes well for our new look pairing.

Ray Jones and Blackstock both worked hard despite nothing really coming off for them, they never gave up when it could have been easy for two youngsters to shuffle around looking at the floor. Ward and Lomas both worked very hard in the middle of the park but as was the case at Burnley, we struggled to get our wide men into the match as much as we would have liked. This is no doubt something Waddo will want to work on before we head to Plymouth.

Two home games now await this week as we face Northampton in the League Cup and winless Ipswich on Sky on Friday night. There were a few knocks here so I expect a change around for the Northampton game as Waddock looks to get his first choice side back fit for the Ipswich clash.

Man of the Match – Damion Stewart. Stew Peas was immense today. He and Rehman seem to have developed a good understanding already and Damion attacked everything that came near him with aggression, something I think had been missing from his first three appearances.

simon@qprnet.com