The Baggies came from behind for the third consecutive game, but this time had to settle for a point as Aune Heggebø’s goal secured a 1–1 draw against rock-bottom Preston North End. In horrendous weather conditions at Deepdale, James Morrison’s Baggies were unable to make it three wins on the bounce, leaving Albion frustrated with two points dropped.
Heading into Saturday’s clash, Albion were full of confidence following back-to-back comeback victories over Wrexham and Blackburn Rovers. With Preston sitting bottom of the Championship table, this looked like a good opportunity for the Baggies to continue their winning run.
However, things didn’t go to plan.
For the sixth consecutive match, Albion found themselves behind from a Preston corner with Andrew Hughes scoring to make it 1-0 with Albion being behind again.
It’s becoming a worrying pattern under James Morrison. While the character shown in recent matches has been encouraging, Albion cannot keep relying on comebacks to get results.
Against a Preston side struggling at the foot of the table, the Baggies would have hoped to take control of the game rather than find themselves chasing it.
Once again, Albion managed to find a way back into the contest.
Aune Heggebø was the man who delivered the equaliser, ensuring the Baggies wouldn’t leave Deepdale empty-handed.
The Norwegian striker’s goal meant Albion had fought back from a losing position for the third consecutive match, following their dramatic victories over Wrexham and Blackburn.
That fighting spirit is certainly a positive. There is clearly a determination within this Albion side to keep going when things aren’t going their way.
However, unlike the previous two matches, there was no winning goal this time.
Albion had to settle for a share of the points, and given Preston’s position in the Championship table, it felt like a missed opportunity.
Battling the Conditions at Deepdale
One thing that certainly didn’t help either side was the weather.
The conditions at Deepdale were horrendous, with heavy rain making it a difficult afternoon for the players and supporters alike.
Matches played in weather like that are rarely straightforward, and it was never going to be an easy afternoon.
However, the conditions were the same for both teams, and Albion will know they needed to do more to come away with all three points.
My Thoughts
For me, this has to go down as two massive points dropped rather than one gained.
Before kick-off, Albion were facing a Preston side rooted to the bottom of the Championship table. After two excellent comeback victories against Wrexham and Blackburn Rovers, there was a real opportunity to make it three wins on the bounce.
Instead, we’ve had to settle for a draw.
Of course, there are positives. Heggebø has once again made an important contribution, and the team deserves credit for fighting back. However, the biggest concern remains the same: why do we keep conceding first?
Six consecutive matches falling behind is a worrying statistic, and we cannot keep relying on dramatic comebacks to get results.
My verdict is that we’ve dropped two massive points, but it could easily have been worse. We could have left Deepdale with nothing, so a point on the road is certainly better than no points at all.
Looking at the bigger picture, Albion have picked up seven points from their last four matches, which is the sort of form that can keep us in the play-off conversation.
However, a difficult run of fixtures lies ahead. Next up is a trip to West Ham, who come into the game following a defeat to Southampton. After that, Albion face Southampton, Millwall and Swansea during November.
Those four matches will provide a real test of where James Morrison’s side are heading this season.
There’s still plenty of football to be played, and although Saturday’s result was frustrating, we have another opportunity to put things right next week.
21 points from 12 games isn’t bad for a side battling relegation last season, but if we’re serious about challenging for the play-offs, we need to start turning these draws into wins — and stop giving teams a head start.