Manager Alex Neil was pleased with the performance on and off the pitch this afternoon and felt the noise levels at Deepdale willed the players on to earn what could prove to be a crucial point come the end of the season.
Alan Browne’s goal was cancelled out by Ruben Neves’ strike mid-way through the second half with the sending off of John Welsh coming inbetween both goals.
The gaffer spoke to iFollow on a pulsating affair at Deepdale, and spoke about a great effort from both sets of fans at the final whistle.
“It was a great atmosphere,” said Neil after the final whistle. “Wolves obviously brought a lot of fans but we were in fine voice, particularly when we scored the goal and I think the lads thrive off it and it gives them that extra couple of percent you need to make the difference.
“Today’s been really pleasing but I think it would have been interesting had we kept 11 men on the pitch.”
Up until the sending off, PNE were well worth their lead following Alan Browne’s header on 52 minutes, but the sending off of John Welsh just before the hour saw Wolves take the ascendency with Neves equalising just minutes later.
“The fact that we had to play the last 35 minutes of the game with ten men, it’s a good point," acknowledged Neil.
“First half, we lacked a bit of relief but our setup was pretty good and we stopped them in the main. They had a few bits and pieces but nothing too much. We didn’t retain the ball as well as we can and I said to the lads at half-time, the one ingredient is belief that you can go and beat them and I thought we came out in the second half great and got right in their faces.
“We made it difficult and applied pressure; Alan hits the post and we have a couple of chances. We get the goal and from that point on, we looked like we were going to win the game but then we get a man sent off and we then have to make sure we defend properly and we do that really well. At Brentford we had to do it, and today, we had to do it for longer against a really good side and we thoroughly deserved the point.
“We’ve lost one in 16 league games, and we’ve played a lot of good sides, so if we don’t take belief in what we’re doing and what we can be, then we never will. You look at the players that were missing today. Ben Pearson, Greg Cunningham, Tom Clarke and Paul Gallagher who’ve all been playing as of late so to perform as well as we have done just speaks volumes of the squad that we have got.”
Alan Browne was deservedly awarded Man of the Match this afternoon for the fourth game in a row, and the gaffer acknowledged the dramatic improvement with Browne in front of goal.
“The one thing I’ve been critical of, of Alan and as have the fans is adding goals to his game but he looked really threatening today going forward, that’ll get better and he’ll become a top, top player.”
Watch Alex Neil's interview on iFollow now.