North End put in their worst performance of the season against a distinctly average Birmingam side. It was more dropped points at home and Alex Neil was unhappy with the poor performance judging by his post match reactions.
Ben Pearson was out through injury and so Johnson played alongside Gallagher in the holding midfield role. It was totally inadeqaute with neither type of player able to break up the play allowing Birmingham to run throuh the midfield in early parts of the game.
It's a good job that the visitors are sch a poor side shown by their league postion otherwsie North End could have been two or three down in the first twenty minutes. Birmingham had a number of efforts which could have been converted on another day.
It was actually a surprise when Preston took the lead against the run of play. The visitors failed to clear and Ben Davies managed to tap in at the far post unmarked for his first goal for the club.
Preston should have been rejuvenated but they were poor throughout and the away side were allowed back into the game when the match should have been closed out.
The equaliser came in the second period from what can only be descibed as a calamity. Maxwell was wel in control of the ball and decided to pass out to Huntington who clearly had two men within close reach of him.
The centre back was soon surrounded and tackled. Maxwell came rushing out to no benefit and Gallagher had an empty net to tap the ball into for the visitors.
Preston rarely threatened. Hugill went off for what appeared to be concussion and he was replaced strangely by Browne as Robinson played up front.
Moult did eventually come on to make his debut and he looked lively. Given more time he will hopefully settle at Deepdale and score a few goals but he will need more service than what was provided.
North End slip further behind the play off places and into 11th place. Too many dropped points at home have costs Preston so far and unless this is addressed it will be another season of finishing n mid-table.