New loan signings Chris Baird and Gary O’Neil came into the side as did Pedro Matias and Jorge Leitao. Darren Bazeley and Deon Burton were relegated to the bench whilst Steve Corica was omitted from the sixteen. Preston included top scorer Ricardo Fuller, who had recovered from a knee injury.

The Saddlers had the better off the first half and should have gone in at half time in front. Jorge “He doesn’t deserve to play at the moment but I’m still going to play him” Leitao missed a gilt edged chance in the thirteenth minute when he latched onto Chris Lucketti’s poor attempt for a back-header only to find the ball over the bar. Why Colin Lee persists in playing Jorge on his own up front – especially at home – is beyond belief but presumably Lee intends for his midfield to get forward to help the Portuguese. Jamie Lawrence did this, latching onto a teasing cross from Baird but firing wide from six yards. The other new boy, Gary O’Neil, faired somewhat better, linking up with Merson before forcing keeper Jonathan Gould into a low save; Leitao unable to turn in the rebound. Then on 35 minutes, the Pompey midfielder hit a screaming 30 yard drive which smacked against a post – just inches from a stunning debut strike.

North End had few clear cut chances in the first half, and when they did venture forwards, McKenna was booked for diving over Zigor Aranalde’s outstretched boot in the penalty area. Then Ricardo Fuller twisted and turned before firing a shot goalwards, thankfully a deflection took the power off the shot and Jimmy Walker was able to gather.

The Saddlers had failed to turn their dominance into goals and at half time Colin Lee resisted the option of putting on strikers Burton and Birch. Five minutes later, the Saddlers took the lead. Paul Merson swung in a quick free kick from the left, which was headed goalwards by the onrushing Lawrence and turned in from a yard out by Neil Emblen.

A powerful run and shot by O’Neil then earned the Saddlers a corner which was volleyed onto the bar and over by Ritchie. On 59 minutes however, Baird was brought down on the edge of the box and Vinny Samways stepped up to a curl the ball over the wall and into the corner to make it 2-0.

Preston pulled a goal back almost immediately when the ball fell at the feet of Fuller after a goalmouth scramble and the Jamaican fired home. Craig Brown’s side threw everything at Walsall in the last half hour; Richard Cresswell somehow headed wide and then missed the target after a ball over the top had put him through.

Much to the derision of the home fans, Colin Lee replaced match-winner Samways with the diminutive Osborn instead of a striker to kill off the game. When Birch and Burton were eventually thrown on, the youngster was played in defence and Burton had little time to make an impact. Man of the Match O’Neil and Baird both look quality players who add ‘youthful tigerish-ness’ to the side, which begs the question ‘Why won’t Lee play our own youngsters?’. A lone striker at home and defending inside our own box for twenty-five minutes worked today…let’s just hope Monday’s victory is a little more comfortable!