Ouch.

Let's be fair, when supporting County you know it's going to go one of two ways. Unfortunately tonight seems to have gone the (oh so familiar) way of decent performance accompanied by heavy defeat.

By all accounts, the first half was fairly even - County holding their own against a seasoned Championship side. That is, until the stroke of half time, when - just as I was settling down to eat my tea - Preston win a penalty, score and go into the break 1-0 up. Oh well, still 45 minutes to go and still the prospect of a County comeback.

Yeah, right.

This is where being an exile doesn't help. It would appear that County never really recovered from the penalty - and once Preston went 2-0 up (just before the hour mark) it maybe that several heads went (we haven't won since a 1-0 "thrashing" of Exeter, and that was in February). a second penalty made it 3-0, and then 2 more in the final 20 minutes wrapped up what looks like a comfortable 5-0 win for the visitors (early contender for "obvious statement of the season" there). My feeling is that the lack of confidence, together with a lack of fitness may have played a part - this side is still learning "how" to play together, and - as with Saturday - it sounds like the midfield was the weak link. But - as I wasn't there - I can only guess as to what really happened.

Elsewhere tonight, it's been a real treat for shock results - big winner including Southend (typical), Port Vale, Oxford, Crewe Bradford, Accrington, Morecambe (there's more but I won;t go on). Fortunately Saturday's opponents Wycombe have been taken to extra-time (losing 2-1 to Millwall) - although I suspect they won't be the more mentally scarred of the two teams on Saturday.

3,724 attended the match; hope the hotpot and club shop "official opening" was better than the end result.