PNE were beaten 1-5 by Valerien Ismael's team on Saturday
Preston North End were hammered 1-5 by Watford on Saturday, with Valerien Ismael's side scoring four goals in the second half.
Here are our talking points from the Deepdale drubbing.
1. All started so well
The first half at Deepdale was highly entertaining and end-to-end throughout, with several big chances falling to both teams. North End had Storey's header, Potts' first time shot and Keane's tame effort before the number seven's eventual opener - and what a tidy finish that was after outstanding wing work from Liam Millar. Watford, though, had carried a threat all half and could've scored two or three times before they eventually levelled on 42 minutes. That was a blow for Preston, who will have been focused on getting in at the break with the lead. It could've easily been 3-3 at half-time and the game felt there for either side to go on and win, with more goals almost guaranteed.
It will take some doing for North End to concede so soon into the second half, in that fashion, again. Some supporters will have been finishing off their half time food or drink, while some reporters will have been typing away - only to look up and see Matheus Martins through on goal. Preston had kick off, pumped it long, lost the aerial duel and were completely carved apart. Watford mustn't have believed their luck and it was a precise finish from Martins, who was too powerful and pacey for Liam Lindsay to catch. North End will reflect on that goal with huge disappointment but also a great deal of embarrassment. The white shirts looked utterly shell shocked and never recovered.
When Edo Kayembe drilled in Watford's third from distance, on 53 minutes, Ryan Lowe immediately turned to his bench and made a quadruple substitution. He explained some of those post-match - Whatmough fatigued and Whiteman booked while the hope was that Brady and Evans could combine via crosses. Four substitutions is a lot to make at any stage of the game and it was likely to go one of two ways from there. North End would either get themselves back into the match or continue to fall apart; the Lilywhites never really caused Watford problems for the final half-an-hour. Liam Millar was moved over to the right, to go up against the experienced Jamal Lewis, after causing stand-in right back Tom Dele-Bashiru problems. Millar sees his best position as left wing and he was Preston's main threat on the day, so that was a move which confused and frustrated those on the terraces. Mads Frokjaer was left as an unused substitute again too, in a game where PNE needed goals to get back into the contest.
Watford carried a goal threat from start to finish with the powerful, dangerous and skilful players in their team. After the third goal, they dug the knife in - cutting PNE wide open for goal number four before Ismael Kone beat Freddie Woodman for power for number five. There is a way to lose games and the final score line is another heavy defeat which Preston and their boss have to live with. Before their trip to Deepdale, Watford had scored seven goals in their nine away trips. PNE kept their first clean sheet in 15 games at Norwich City, but it's still 15 without one at home - the longest of any Championship club. North End have shipped 32 goals in their last 14 games, which makes their poor run of form no surprise at all. It's a bad habit to have in the locker and there are few signs of PNE disposing of it any time soon. Photo: Dave Howarth / CameraSport
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