Second-year scholar Mike Howard hopes to use Saturday’s 3-2 defeat away to Rochdale as a learning experience going forward.
The 17-year-old set up goals for Darren Brannigan and Lewis Fensome for North End to take a two-goal lead into half-time, but the hosts turned it around with three goals after the break.
“I think we thought we had won the game at half-time, which obviously you don’t – you don’t win a game at half-time and that’s what we’ve said after the game,” the winger told PNE.com.
“I think it will be a good experience to learn from, because at 2-0 up we should be able to see the game out for the 90 minutes but we gave away sloppy passes and didn’t win our second balls, so we need to work on that in training and put it right in our next game against Tranmere.
“As young players, we need to learn and it’s good in one way that we learn that early on because then it shouldn’t happen again. We should be able to see the games out.”
Howard was pleased to register two assists in the first-half but felt North End’s attacking play wasn’t considered enough after Dale had pegged it back to 2-2.
“In the first-half, I thought we were the better side and dominated the game but at 2-2, we were rushing a bit in the final third.
“We were taking one too many touches and then they were quick to break on us, which is how they got their third goal. We created more chances in the first-half and we needed to take them because we didn’t have as many in the second-half, so we will have to work on that in training.
“As a winger, you want to be amongst the goals and create the chances, like today getting the two assists. I think I did well in the first-half but after that, I thought I had chances to score and create more for the team, but that’s what I keep pushing for – setting targets and making sure I meet those at the end of the season.”