By CCFC Sid
September 21 2003

Optimism was high amongst CCFC fans following the victory over Stoke, though that one match winning run(!) was ended with a very poor display at Preston. Add to that the sendings off of Patrick Suffo and Michael Doyle, and it's fair to say a bad day was had at the office.... CCFC started fairly well (although a Cresswell effort had hit the cross-bar early on), but things took a turn for the worse after 20 minutes as Andrew Whing was forced to leave the pitch with an injury, and replaced by Richard Shaw.

Fuller - who leapt from a stretcher to argue with a CCFC fan in this fixture at Highfield Road last season, having seemingly been close to death seconds before - opened the scoring after 35 minutes, with CCFC equalising five minutes later via the penalty spot. Said spot kick was (immaculately) taken by Steve Staunton, as Gary McAllister was busy having treatment. For the second time in two games, CCFC conceded a goal on the stroke of half-time - though Fuller looked a good few yards offside when he received the ball.

Broomes should have been sent off for a foul on Safri after 50 minutes, but received only his first yellow card of the match, rather than what should have been his second or third....

Suffo was sent off on the hour after appearing to swing an arm at Marlon Broomes - though whether or not Suffo actually did make contact, or whether Broomes feigned injury is open to debate, but it's fair to say Broomes was at the heart of most unsavoury things that had gone on throughout the match, including the foul on McAllister that had led to CCFC's penalty. Suffo took a few moments to leave the pitch, having been stunned by thre referee's decision....

A Cresswell goal was about as obvious as a miserable script in Eastenders - and to it proved (After 65 minutes). This saw CCFC introduce Andy Morrell into the action, and he almost scored immediately, having a shot saved by CCFC reject Jonathan Gould. Minutes later Morrell did get his name on the score-sheet, and CCFC brought on Jorgensen for Warnock in a bid to score the all important equaliser. Alas, it wasn't to be....

With only minutes left to play, a CCFC attack was turned into defence, and the game was over as a contest, with Keane scoring PNE's fourth. And while the contest might have been ended, the action wasn't, with Doyle becoming the second CCFC player to see red after an incident that once again included Marlon Broomes. McAllister fumed at the referee's failure to send off Broomes, and quite how he managed to stay on the pitch for the full 90 minutes is one for Arthur C. Clarke to work out....