On the Cross verdict: Preston 3 Saints 1

Burley made just the one change from the less than fluent performance against Ipswich, bring back top scorer Rasiak, opting for two big men up front on a very windy night.

Saints midfield put in a much improved display in the first half, playing Preston off their own park, with some controlled and fluent passing despite the conditions. The less said about the shooting the better as Viafara, Belmadi and Surman wasted good opportunities in a manner so familiar to anyone watching Saints this season.

It was the defence's turn to have an off day, looking vulnerable nearly every time the livewire David Nugent was in possession. Preston substitute Agyemang proved their undoing with Lundekvam and Baird looking helpless against his pace and Nugent's trickery.

Up front the combination of Rasiak and Jones failed to get into the danger areas, bar a trademark piece of poaching from Rasiak who seems more likely to score the worse his standard of general play!

He should at least be congratulated for reaching 20 goals for the season, an impressive achievement. How we could have done with a 20 goal a season striker last year.

Make no mistake this was a desperately disappointing defeat. Yet again we should have put the opposition out of sight in the first half, but didn't and got our just desserts, thanks to careless defending, wayward shooting and some wonderful skills from Nugent.

Nugent has improved a great deal since the St Mary's game, adding real cutting edge to his movement and tricks in a display that was a pleasure to watch, even for a Saints fan. His finish for the second goal showed the wayward Saints players just how to take a chance, working his opening rather than blasting at the first sight of goal.

As the game wore on Saints looked a side drained of confidence, as another dominant early display failed to yield the three points. That this was a vital game against a side level on points with us at kickoff made it all the worse.

With perfect timing, I received a received a season ticket application form in the post this morning, with 'March Madness' on the front cover and Baird's picture alongside it. How apt after his own goal in this madenning performance and the strange timing of Chairman Wilde's resignation.

So, we now have to pick ourselves up and hope we can bring our first half game to the coming matches against those around us, coupled with the results of some much needed shooting practice.

Automatic promotion looks a pipe dream now and we have to hope that Saints can recover from this disappointment and pick up a good points tally from difficult games against Stoke, Cardiff and Colchester to get us back into the play-off positions after falling out of the top six for the first time this year.

Man of the match: The Algerian wizard Belmadi was once again at the heart of Saints' best moves, providing touches of real quality, as he ran the game in the first half. A joy to watch in possession, he was unlucky not to score in the first half when he put the ball through the keeper's legs, but the Preston stopper got just enough on it to deflect it wide.

Cameo of the day: A promising debut for Liverpool's on loan midfielder Danny Guthrie who showed he is not shy in possession with some impressive long range passing.

Thorn in the side: David Nugent was a pleasure to watch and ran the game for Preston in the second half when moved into the centre away from the shackles of the equally quick Gareth Bale. Will surely be playing in the Premiership next season, but whether it will be for Preston remains to be seen.