Neil admits defeat at Reading has dented Preston’s hopes of reaching play-offs
Posted Sunday, April 08, 2018 by PA
Preston manager Alex Neil admitted his side’s Championship play-off hopes had been dented by the 1-0 defeat at lowly Reading.
Reading went in front in only the 12th minute, when Mo Barrow nodded in his 10th goal of the season at the far post.
Although Preston went on to dominate much of the match, they were unable to break down the stubborn home defence.
Louis Moult struck a post in the first half and substitute Sean Maguire headed against the crossbar in the second period.
Preston now lie in 11th place, six points off a play-off spot.
“Naturally, our play-off chances have taken a dent,” Neil said. “But that result now has to be a distant memory.
“Everything can change when we play against Leeds at home on Tuesday. A lot of the [top] teams have got to play each other.
“We’ve made it a very difficult task for ourselves now.
“We did not do enough today. We conceded that first goal and that turned out to be crucial.
“But from that point onward, I thought that we controlled the game and created enough opportunities to get back into it and possibly even win it.
“That’s the most frustrating part for us. We did not find that solution to break Reading down.
“We can certainly play much better than that and I thought that we improved a lot in the second half.
“But for all our chances, all our pressure and all our possession, we just didn’t score.”
Reading restored their five-point buffer to the relegation zone, after it had been temporarily reduced to two points by Barnsley’s earlier 3-2 win over Sheffield United.
“We’re all delighted with the result,” said Reading manager Paul Clement.
“It was a grind at times and not dissimilar to the QPR game [also won 1-0].
“We scored early on, which gave us confidence, but we had to defend a lot after that. The players were dead on their feet at the end.
“They gave everything to get the win and I’m really pleased about that. That’s what you want as a manager when you first come in.
“It shows that you’re up for the fight, that you’ve got character and a determination to get results.
“It wasn’t pretty and, obviously, I want to improve our football a lot going forward.
“But, at the moment, it’s all about getting results and we got over the line again today.
“That was very important, especially with Barnsley clinching a late win over Sheffield United.
“It wasn’t a good game to watch today but I told the players that the main thing was the result and that’s what we got.”
- Tag:
Photos
More»
Rhian Sugden's sexiest pictures
Saturday April 20 2024
Fans love Apollonia as she poses in tiny denim shirts
Saturday April 20 2024
Eugenie Bouchard sends fans wild in barely-there bikini
Friday April 19 2024
Your Say