Preston were pretty toothless once again on Saturday afternoon, drawing 0-0 away at Huddersfield Town as the playoffs continue to slip away.
This was not a game that many will want to re-watch. If there is a highlight video of the game, it can’t be very long; North End failed to manage a single shot on target and only seemed to come to life in the final stages.
There were though some rather impressive individual performances. Here is a look at who really stood out…
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Joe Rafferty
We’re big fans of Darnell Fisher here, but you can’t deny that Rafferty has looked impressive in the last couple of games. He was decent against Derby County, and continued that form yesterday.
Rafferty has been used as a left back more than his natural position of right back, but has justified his selection there. The 26-year-old was strong defensively, notching three tackles and three interceptions.
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He maybe isn’t the most exciting full back going forward, but he produced a moment of quality with a superb whipped cross late in the game. Seani Maguire couldn’t reach it, but the cross was begging to be turned in.
Fisher certainly has a task on his hands if he wants to reclaim that right back spot.
Ryan Ledson
You got the feeling a start was coming for Ledson. Alex Neil talked him up in the press in the build-up to the game, and he joined Ben Pearson and Alan Browne in the engine room.
Ledson was impressive, putting in a full-blooded and committed display. Two tackles and four interceptions summed up Ledson’s day as he did plenty of dirty work alongside Pearson.
He made one key interception late in the second half, saving North End. Pairing Ledson with Pearson won’t work for every game, but Ledson certainly repaid Neil’s faith with an impressive performance.
Alan Browne
We’ve been critical of Browne since football came back. He hasn’t quite hit top form, and Brad Potts was better than him as a box-to-box player in the 1-0 defeat to Derby.
However, Browne was much better on Saturday. Even though Pearson and Ledson were in the team, Browne still did his share of dirty work with five tackles and one interception.
He completed three dribbles, which was a team-high number, though his influence gradually wore off in the second half. His crossing wasn’t ideal, but there was plenty to build on for Browne after an improved display.