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Watford slumped to their third successive defeat as Preston completed the double over the two leading clubs in the First Division.

Welcome back to the real First Division. The place where life sometimes kicks you in the teeth. And, if life doesn’t do it, the Tranmere midfield will.

“Not quite crisis time yet” (Radio 5). Thank goodness for that, then.

We played some of our best positive football in ages in this game, our attacking moves were sharp, our finishing strong. And yet we were also offering vacant possession of most of the pitch to any enterprising North Ender who happened along and fancied a piece. At first they tended to happen along three or four a minute, since their industriousness put us to shame. And then, when they saw our shapeless generosity, our lack of stomach for a scrap, they all fancied a piece.