“Completely unacceptable, ‘Let’s be fair’ – What Paul Heckingbottom said straight after Preston North End’s 2-1 loss to Leeds United
Preston North End Fall Short Against Leeds United in 2-1 Defeat at Elland Road
Preston North End suffered a 2-1 loss to Leeds United in Saturday’s early kick-off at Elland Road.
Leeds took an early lead in the third minute with a powerful strike from Manor Solomon. However, Preston quickly responded, as Aston Villa loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden equalized with a brilliant shot. Just before the 15-minute mark, Leeds regained the lead when Jayden Bogle netted from close range.
That goal proved to be the difference, securing Leeds a vital victory in their race for automatic promotion, especially with Sheffield United’s loss to Plymouth Argyle.
Preston struggled to create significant chances in the second half, and manager Paul Heckingbottom had little to argue with regarding the final result.
Post-match, Heckingbottom reflected on the game:
“We knew it would be a tough match. I’m really disappointed with the two goals we conceded; I thought both were poor on our part.
But looking at the whole game, Leeds had the better chances. I was pleased with our response, and I really enjoyed the second half — it was end-to-end, but they created better chances than us.”
He continued, “When you come here, you need to defend as well as you can, be clinical, and take advantage of the moments. I’m proud of how brave we were, how we tried to pass the ball and take the game to them.
But we couldn’t create the same opportunities they did. Jayden Meghoma will learn from the second goal. As a full-back, when you have two players, you can’t let the attacker get in front of you like Bogle did. He’ll learn from that, as that’s why he’s here.”
Heckingbottom also acknowledged the team’s defensive strength this season:
“Defending the box has been one of our strengths, but we were disappointed with the two goals today.
If we had kept it at 1-0, as we discussed in our home game last time, we could’ve pushed for opportunities. We had chances to press, but Leeds defended their box well and we couldn’t quite break them down.”
He praised the team’s efforts but noted that their lack of final product has been an ongoing issue:
“We worked well on the corner that led to our goal, and after a goal, you have to be brave and positive when creating chances from set pieces.
Overall, I’m happy with the effort and commitment from the players, but Leeds had the better chances. The goal we scored was great, and the build-up was positive. We need to improve next season in terms of goal-scoring and creating more chances.
We’ve consistently gotten players into those key areas, but too often we’ve faltered on the final pass or missed the chance. We need better quality and better decision-making in those moments.”
Heckingbottom had warned his players in the pre-match press conference about Leeds’ fast starts, particularly at home. Leeds came out aggressively, spurred on by their passionate crowd, and Solomon’s strike highlighted their intent. Yet, the Preston boss couldn’t hide his frustration:
“That’s why I’m disappointed. Fast starts are one of our strengths, but today it wasn’t.
We were prepared for it, but it didn’t work out. There’s definitely a mental aspect to it. We have players who have played here before and know what to expect, but still, it’s a frustration.”
He concluded, “I enjoyed watching the second half, especially when the game opened up. We knew we’d give them some space, but they have quality players. We were brave, we kept trying to pass the ball, but we just couldn’t create the chances they did.”
