Matchday Musings: Points Shared in Gritty Deepdale Stalemate
Today at 01:00 AM
Despite a second successive goalless draw, Sunderland extended their unbeaten run to seven, retaining their lead at the top of the table with another solid defensive display at Deepdale.
Preston are a club seemingly stuck in an endless Championship void, perennially stranded in no man's land alongside Bristol City, Millwall, and Richard Keogh. The Lilywhites have floated between 10th and 14th for eight of the last ten seasons, living out football's version of Groundhog Day.
Wednesday's meeting between Preston and Sunderland brought two sides at opposite ends of the form table head-to-head at Deepdale, with Preston looking to kickstart their season and Sunderland aiming to extend their table-topping form.
With Jobe Bellingham's dismissal last weekend, Sunderland headed into the clash facing the prospect of being without both the younger Bellingham and Chris Rigg, who had missed Saturday's game at Loftus Road. Fortunately, Rigg returned to the fold, with Jobe watching on from the away end alongside Sunderland's 4,000 travelling fans.
As the fixture list piles up, Régis Le Bris opted to refresh the squad, handing starts to Aaron Connolly and Tommy Watson, who replaced Romaine Mundle and Patrick Roberts.
The game's opening mirrored Saturday's QPR tie, with little separating the two sides. Preston marginally edged it on chances, with an unmarked header sailing close to Moore's left post before an Emil Riis strike forced a stinging save from Sunderland's keeper. Once again, Luke O'Nien and Chris Mepham proved excellent at neutralising Preston's efforts, though Mepham was lucky to avoid penalty calls after a risky challenge in the box.
Aaron Connolly came close to netting his first for the club, but like the QPR game, Sunderland struggled in the final third. Watson and Connolly, despite being fresh legs, looked isolated on the wings and made little impact on the half.
Looking back, the first half felt like an echo of the QPR game, showing signs of lethargy and a lack of creativity. Much of this stemmed from Jobe's absence — his influence in the middle has been a driving force this season, with his tenacious ball-winning and powerful runs often launching counterattacks and creating chances.
In the second half, Sunderland returned to the field with a fresh mentality, if not fresh personnel. Though we didn't convert our early pressure into a goal, we began to exert more control.
The introductions of Mundle and Roberts helped shift the game's dynamic, with their direct play troubling Preston's increasingly fatigued legs. Eliezer Mayenda also rejoined the squad, having been sidelined for the past month with injury.
Alan Browne's knuckle-ball free-kick sailed into the stands, while Patrick Roberts narrowly missed a last-minute winner with a well-struck volley, leaving Preston with a hard-earned share of the spoils.
Though we kept another clean sheet and extended our unbeaten streak to seven games, it was not a convincing display. For the second consecutive game, we failed to score. Yet, as the QPR result reminded us, if you can't win a game, don't lose it.
The facts are clear: we remain two points ahead at the top and have the league's best away record. For any team with promotion ambitions, picking up points however possible is essential, and we're doing just that.
