Five conclusions: Bad habits die hard in Preston rout

Huddersfield Town led at the break thanks to Josh Koroma's well-taken goal before putting in an abysmal second-half showing to lose 4-1

1. Bad

Having been unable to find a dentist close to home, I am now signed up with one in Preston. I visited them on the way to Deepdale to discover I need two more one-hour appointments to deal with multiple cavities, with a risk of potential root canal down the line. But as I make my way back up the M61 in a couple of weeks’ time, I can at least lift my spirits by reminding myself that it could be worse: at least I don’t have to watch that second half from Huddersfield Town again.

At least, I hope not, because if they do put in a repeat performance, their fate might as well be sealed now. Once again, Town had something good in their hands after taking the lead on the counter-attack shortly before the break. Once again, they completely blew it.

This played out like a lowlights reel for the whole season. Town have now dropped 25 points from winning positions. 12 of those have been thanks to having well and truly run out of steam before the final whistle, on top of having conceded three more late winners against Hull (twice) and Middlesbrough. Town have shipped four goals or more in eight of their 12 defeats this season – the most they have been so frequently humped since 1955/56. One more and they’ll equal the club record set in 1934/35.

Town were squidgy and underbaked when the season began, and they are squidgy and underbaked now. Andre Breitenreiter has been left in the unfortunate position of a Great British Bake-Off Contestant who has to take that structureless mess and try anything he can to force it into some kind of presentable shape. 

The head coach succeeded in that task against Stoke and Millwall, but you just knew it was only going to be a matter of time before it collapsed again.

We’ve seen over and over this season that just one thing going against this side can send them into a terrible spiral; that’s exactly what happened after a debatable penalty decision went against them to give Preston their equaliser from the spot.

The only hope now is that Breitenreiter is able to gather up the crumbs once more and pile them back together for just long enough to pass inspection. Whether they stay up or not, he will be desperate to get to the summer and begin anew in pre-season.