Preston North End 1 Portsmouth 0: Neil Allen's verdict - A few home truths for Callum Lang as best side lose
Alfie Devine’s 40th-minute header was the difference in Saturday’s Deepdale clash
Callum Lang was sighted in nearby Nando’s an hour before kick-off. Clearly there would be no immediate reunion.
‘He’s just not been training. His last session was Wednesday last week with Portsmouth because of how their training week is,’ explained Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom later.
‘The next time we saw him was Tuesday after a stressful few days, so he did that warm-up, a bit on his own.
‘Then our only day’s training was Thursday and, when he has been out with an injury, I know if I had put him on the bench, I would have brought him on the pitch. So, we have erred on the side of caution. I am sure we will see him next week.’
Over the last 12 months, Lang’s availability has dominated much of Pompey’s thoughts, primarily due to the talented attacker’s importance to their side and the frustrating length of ongoing absences.
Somebody else’s problem
On Saturday, however, for once it wasn’t John Mousinho fielding the questions. He had already delivered a strong final statement, damning in parts and by far the coldest farewell directed at any of those who have left Fratton Park during his three-year tenure. This was now somebody else’s problem.
Lang was a Deepdale onlooker for the intriguing collision between career past and present - and will undoubtedly have learnt plenty about his new employers after deciding the grass was greener.
Ipswich supporters may belligerently refuse to accept it, but Preston’s playing surface is in a considerably worse state than that at Fratton Park. Indeed, it is barely conducive for constructive attacking football.
There was also the curious match atmosphere, with the home support for a club residing in a healthy ninth position bafflingly muted throughout, bar celebrations for the winning goal and a couple of minutes just before the commencement of stoppage-time.
In a bizarre footballing role-reversal, it was the travelling faithful who generated the booming levels of noise usually associated with playing the host, albeit squeezed into a third of one stand.
And irrespective of 11 places and 11 points separating the teams before kick off, it was relegation-battling Pompey who impressed the most on the day, rather than play-off chasing Preston.
Better team lost
The better side lost, although it can be reasonably argued that Mousinho’s men deserved little having barely tested one-time loanee Dai Cornell in the opposition goal, while conceding in a rare match moment of quality at the other end.
Still, Lang has made his choice, this is what he signed up for. Nobody should be ridiculed for putting family and ambition first, regardless of a messy severance which saw him lose a number of admirers behind the scenes at Fratton Park.
And while Preston will rightly be expected to finish above the 27-year-old’s former club this season, Saturday demonstrated that perhaps Mousinho’s side aren’t as far behind as the Championship table would have us believe.
The visitors controlled the game for long spells, dictated the tempo from the back, started confidently and finished strongly. Crucially, they failed to score.
Handing a debut to Jacob Brown in the centre-forward role during Colby Bishop’s injury absence, the deadline day arrival from Luton had little opportunity to impress in front of goal.
A very different striker, the 27-year-old is expected to add more pace, mobility and runs behind than the man currently sidelined by an ankle injury and it will be interesting to see when both are available, perhaps in tandem.
Mousinho afterwards bemoaned Pompey ‘having chance after chance after chance’, yet their strong finish coincided with Brown no longer on the pitch and fellow debutant Gustavo Caballero and Makenzie Kirk having been introduced off the bench.
Two January captures impressive once more
They were once again driven by Ebou Adams and Millicent Adams, two excellent January captures, with the pair’s influence growing stronger as the second half progressed as the visitors hammered on the door.
Yet while crosses fizzed across the six-yard box, there were penalty area scrambles, Adrian Segecic’s corners repeatedly found the side-netting, and Connor Ogilvie planted one stoppage-time header straight at the keeper, Cornell was barely called up to make a save.
As it turned out, the key Pompey moment arrived on 30 minutes when Jordan Storey went through Segecic from behind as the Australian bore down on goal for a one-on-one.
On first glance it appeared to be a cast-iron penalty, while the second viewing was even more comprehensive. To make the decision not to point to the spot even more incomprehensible, referee Adam Herczeg instead gave a goal kick.
Then, 10 minutes later, the galloping Andrija Vukcevic produced a dangerous first-time left-footed cross from the left and Archie Devine’s looping header found the far top corner, despite Nicolas Schmid’s best efforts.
Moments later, Andre Dozzell’s low drive was finger-tipped around the post by their keeper, but, from that moment, Cornell was far too comfortable.
It leaves Preston outside the Championship play-offs on goal difference and a winning start to life at Deepdale for the on-looking Lang. Perhaps soon he will find his way onto the pitch to be part of it.