Referee – He was excellent I felt and one of the best of the season. Gavin Ward let a few meaty tackles go early and I liked that. He tried to keep things flowing but got most of the decisions both ways correct. Just let the game go and made sure it was not about him. I noticed he was always up with play too and gave a lot of throw ins or decisions that assistants would normally give but sometimes when they are right at the other end would not always spot. He booked Dowell rightly for a late tackle as they got away and then did the same for Pearson. Browne got booked I think for a foul on Stevens also near the end which he had done a few times so was more an accumulation. One odd one was he booked Gallagher for taking a free kick too soon. He did not give the penalty when Nmecha went down and actually could have booked him for a pretty outrageous dive.

The main gripe I had with the officials were not spotting that the keepers kit was almost identical to United’s away kit – it was more green but ridiculous he was allowed to wear this. They at least made him change at half time but should have done it earlier in the game or before it started really. Basic stuff really that would not even be allowed at park level.

Crowd/Fans/Day Out – Another great away day…NOT ruined by the game/result! I need too try and get to more United away games after years of having some brilliant days out ruined by the performance/results.

I have been to Preston so many times and never seen a goal or a win! I seem to have missed the odd ones we have done well in and kind of gave up going so bad was my record there. I think I saw about 4 or 5 2-0 or 3-0 defeats on the bounce back in the days of Heath/Warnock. So great to finally end that hoodoo. It is that long since I went there though that they had only 3 sides with an unused terrace and rickety old stand on one side. They have replaced this with a smart smaller stand than the other three and is a bit odd as it has a gantry at the back that looks like it should be for boxes or executive seating but there is nothing there other than a cameraman. Odd. Are they planning to do something with it and if not why stop the seats to build that when you could have had a few more rows. It is a nice smart ground and the stands are quite steep so you get a good view no matter what. Always like the way they have the Preston legends picked out in the seat designs too (one of them Alan Kelly’s Dad). Nice to see Ian Bryson there and did a speech at half time although no one could hear him.

The ground is a fair bit from the centre as we found when walking along that long road that seemed to go on forever. Had a look at the Tom Finney statue and once inside the facilities are fairly decent although does annoy me that hundreds of fans choose to stand and smoke in the toilet, blocking people trying to use the toilet for what it is for and ensuring you reek when you come out and are subjected to a mini coughing fit also!

Inside the ground, we were sat right to the left of the stand so had a good view across on the diagonal. The fans were in good voice and the support was excellent. The fans really willed them on at the end and celebrated every tackle/throw as we saw it out. Great to see the celebrations on full time as the team and Wilder came to salute the huge away following.

What struck me was how relaxed the fans were after the game. Nerves may have been shredded during it and at the end but in the pubs and on the train, many were just quite calm. It is very much that everything is a bonus now and whilst it would be disappointing not to go up after such a great season; you sense the fans are just enjoying it. There is a quiet belief we can do it and it is getting closer now and a real possibility but if we don’t, nobody could really criticise the team or manager. We just have to give it everything the last 6 as a team, both on and off the field. We will make the playoffs now so we need to just go for it every game.

The rest of the day was good too. We got to Manchester and chose to have a few hours here. We had a look in the Classic Football Shirts shop on Deansgate which is very good. Some of the shirts are superb but eye wateringly expensive. I opted not to buy a £150 Fiorentina 7UP 90’s shirt and we went on to have a few more drinks. Sat outside in the Northern Quarter and did some people watching in the sun as we had a couple of lovely pints of Beavertown Gamma Ray. We grabbed a bit of lunch on the run and got the train into Preston arriving around 1.15pm ish. We went to a nice little bar called the Otter’s Pocket and then had the long way to the ground. We even had an ice cream on the way the weather was that nice. After the game we returned to the same bar for a quick pint and then was back in Manchester before 7pm. Found a tremendous bar called NQ64 I the Northern Quarter – which is basically the UK version of Barcade (similar bar in America – Brooklyn) where there is basically old school arcades all around a bar. We played NBA Jam, Turbo Outrun 2, Streetfighter, Mortal Kombat, Track and Field and Golden Axe. We could not get on Sensible Soccer sadly! Great little place that was packed and could have stayed here longer but we had to get back and hopped on the 9.30ish train and I was back home for 11pm. Feeling it a bit this morning….fuzzy head but the table and the results means it was all worthwhile.