Preston North End drew yet another blank against Sunderland, drawing 0-0 for the sixth time in just 11 league games this season.
The Lilywhites did go close at the Stadium of Light with Ben Whiteman having a goal-bound strike miraculously cleared off the line by Aji Alese.
Ched Evans tested Anthony Patterson in the Sunderland goal, but his effort was straight down the middle of the goal; either side of Patterson and Preston may have grabbed the win.
Sadly, this is the story of North End’s season in front of goal; ifs, buts and maybes.
The cold, hard facts are that Preston have managed just three goals in 11 Championship games this season.
That’s simply embarrassing at this point, and fans are frankly tired of hearing that the tide will turn eventually.
On this form, Preston will just about crack double figures for goals by May.
Different setups, approaches and selections have been made but Preston still can’t find goals and the numbers look truly terrible.
Emil Riis just to have taken a confidence hit despite his 20-goal campaign last season and has scored just once this term.
Riis has now gone 339 minutes without a Championship goal but the players around him have suffered even longer droughts.
Seani Maguire’s last goal came on November 20th last year. The Irishman has been a bit-part player due to selection and injuries, but his run without a goal now stands at 479 minutes.
Evans was given the chance to start against Sunderland and again drew a blank, meaning he has now gone a whopping 1297 minutes without a Championship goal.
Evans’ last strike came just a week after Maguire’s, bundling in from close range against Fulham on November 27th with a goal that probably would have been ruled out if VAR was in play.
Then there’s summer signing Troy Parrott, who looks bereft of confidence having come in for criticism from North End fans of late.
In 22 Championship games – across spells with Preston and Millwall – Parrott has yet to find the net even once and his run without a goal has hit 1460 minutes.
Lowe’s striking options just don’t seem equipped to scoring regularly in the Championship right now and North End’s inability to sign another goalscorer in the summer window is now looking like being a season-crippling mistake.