Rovers were left frustrated in their first Lancashire derby of the week, as they suffered a second consecutive 95th minute setback, as Preston North End managed to salvage a 1-1 draw at Deepdale, which proved unhelpful to either side in their respective pursuits for the playoffs.
“We’re all disappointed in the dressing room, which we should be. We’re frustrated not to get three points and get the result over the line after doing so well to get ahead. The lads have done so well in a difficult derby game. Our lead was well deserved, but we should have seen the game out. We should have buried the game with a second goal, instead, we conceded a very unnecessary equaliser. They kicked it long, we were unlucky to slip and suddenly the ball deflects in, but that’s football. It’s cruel, but the way we’ve performed lately gives me confidence and a good feeling, even after today’s cruel result, because we’re not getting the results that our performances deserve.
“Of course, you need the results. When you’re so close to getting the results and you don’t, it hursts, but on the other hand, one point keeps it in our hands. We want to prove everyone wrong, who believe we can’t make it into the playoffs. The performance from the lads, today, was excellent and it was great to see 5,000 fans helping us in the away end.
“The performances give me optimism. When you perform like we are, then you’re doing something right. Football is a cruel game, but it also has a lot of luck and fortune. That’s why you can play extremely well and then concede an equaliser in the 95th minute, with a hand, like we saw against Coventry City on Wednesday. That’s cruel, isn’t it? Today, we played another good game where we conceded another unnecessary goal, but should have been out of sight. We now have three games to try and end the season positively and get into the playoffs.
“We had a very good opportunity to make it 2-0 and grab a well-deserved second, just before they scored. Football is cruel and I’m not happy, I’m very frustrated with the result, but I also know that we have a huge game in a couple of days and I know how hard the lads have been working for Rovers, the whole season.
“Every game is difficult in this league, we know that. The lads should see how much they have improved over time and earn confidence from that. We saw a team today, who had a big disappointment in our last game, they were fighting today with everything they had and they will do that until the end of the season. The togetherness and spirit have always been great within the team. It’s great to see how much we’ve improved playing football. It would be nice if we had scored an extra goal and made some better decisions in the final third.
“It’s great to have another derby. Burnley are the best team in the league and their promotion is well-deserved, but now we have another opportunity to play against a very good side.
“The message to the lads is that ‘we have three games left and we will give everything to get into those playoff spots’. We are in a great position as we have things in our own hands. It will probably go down to the last game. Football is full of excitement, but it can also be a nightmare, because we would love to be in it. We need to keep doing all of the right things, which we have been doing in recent weeks.
“Sam (Gallagher) will be out for the next few games, which is incredibly disappointing. We’re stretched in some positions. That’s also why I used the whole squad and made changes at half-time, because of a lack of energy. We’re stretched in attack and we all know how the transfer window went. Sam and the medical department are doing everything to try and get him back fit. How long will he be out for? I don’t know, but he will for sure, be out for the upcoming week. It’s a blow because he always works extremely hard for the team, he’s a bit of a handful and has scored eight goals for us. We’re not a team with a lot of goals, so we will miss those goals, as well.”
