It has been very gloomy days for North End since Iain Hume hit the winner at Deepdale in a 1-0 win against Ipswich 12 games ago, with respectable draws against high flying Queens Park Rangers and more recently Nottingham Forest the scant consolation amidst a run of terrible results.
The Lilywhites set out to avenge the 4-3 defeat suffered at Turf Moor earlier in the season where the Clarets came from 3-1 down to seal victory with three goals in six minutes following Billy Jones' red card for the visitors.
But with just three clean sheets in the league all season, the writing was on the wall for Phil Brown's men who were unable to keep their local rivals at bay.
North End are having the same problem under Brown that they had under Darren Ferguson - inability to defend. The standout result for the season has to be the 6-4 win against Leeds United at Elland Road on September 28.
Although the result was a great attacking display, it showed just how frail they are at the back. One of the more important results that Preston have had all season is a battling 4-3 win over fellow strugglers Crystal Palace on October 23.
It is a team capable of scoring goals, but the desperate need to stiffen up at the back is plain to see, as reinforced by the 4-0 defeat at home to Bristol City earlier this month.Just two seasons ago North End made it into the Play-Offs, only to lose 2-1 on aggreagate to Sheffield United in the semi-finals. It is amazing just how much the club has fallen into ruin in such a short space of time.
After breaking into the Division One (as it was back in the day) in 2000 following a 95 point haul in Division Two - securing promotion along with Burnley, as chance would have it - the Lilywhites have failed to live up to many peoples' expectations that they would reach the Premier League.
Under the charge of the inspirational David Moyes, Preston made it to the Division One Play-Offs at the first attempt but lost out to Bolton Wanderers in the final after overcoming Birmingham City.
Three points separated Preston from the Play-Offs the following season before Moyes was appointed as Everton manager and a combination of first Kelham O'Hanlon and Craig Brown suffered two mediocre seasons with the Lancashire club.
It was to be Play-Off heartache again for the Lilywhites as Billy Davies led them to fifth place, only to be thwarted by West Ham United in 2005, as the Hammers made an instant return to the Premier League.
Sadly, it was the same old story the following season for poor Preston as this time Leeds United saw them off at the semi-final stage of the Play-Offs, in what would prove to be Davies' last game in charge of the club.
Now the club that boasted the talents of Sir Tom Finney back in the 40s is set to fall into decline after four failed attempts in the Championship Play-Offs, and tougher times are ahead you fear.
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