Alan Irvine told PNE.com after the 1-0 defeat with Kevin Blackwell's Sheffield United that his team deserved something from the game.
"It looked for so long like we were going to get the point we deserved. We knew what we were going to be up against here, it's a really tough place to come and Sheffield United put us under a bit of pressure in the first half, we stood up to that side of it very well and Andy Lonergan had very little to do.
"Then in the second half I'd asked the boys to be a wee bit better in terms of possession on the ball and I thought we did that and were very comfortable."
North End looked to be leaving the Steel City with a valuable point and had been the stronger team in the second half but a controversial goal from Jamie Ward meant PNE 1-0 for the third successive time at Brammall Lane. The Gaffer recognised the quality of the goal but admitted his players had questioned the strike's legitimacy.
"It was a great delivery and was obviously meant to be a cross. Players who take those free-kicks try and get it in to the far post and sometimes nobody touches it but sometimes what happens today will happen. It was a great bit of football from their point of view but difficult for us.
"The lads are adamant it wasn't a free-kick in the first place and if you have a look at it again Richard Cresswell is offside when it's swung in and he slides for it and whether that distracts Andy Lonergan I'm not sure. When our lads react like that it means something's not right."
It was the final game of Michael Tonge's loan spel in a white shirt and Brammall Lane was an appropriate location for his last game, after the game the manager said there was a chance the former Blade could stay at PNE.
"I need to speak to Tony Pulis again, having had an initial chat with him to see what Stoke's intentions are. We will speak again now that this game has finished and see what their plans for Michael are. I know that Michael would like to stay and I'd like him to stay as well but first and foremost it's up to Stoke and then we need to see if we have the finances to bring him here."
PNE were outstanding in defence throughout the ninety minutes and the central defensive duo of Neill Collins and Sean St. Ledger were at the centre of that with a series of blocks, tackles and headed clearances and the Gaffer acknowledged their performance.
"Sean's a good player and it was terrific to have him back again, he slotted straight back in in the way that he was playing before he left and it was terrific to have him there.
"In the second half we were better; in the first half we defended well and had headed things away but I felt as if the quality in our play wasn't there and we didn't pass the ball well and didn't make good decisions.
" In the second half we did both of those things and we had a few opportunites but not great chances and I was actually standing at the side thinking that if anyone was going to score it was going to be us."
