Plymouth’s comeback not enough to calm ‘angry’ Wayne Rooney

Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney remained “angry” despite Plymouth’s second-half comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Preston.

Goals by debutants Freddie Issaka and Andre Gray and a stoppage-time leveller from the irrepressible Morgan Whittaker cancelled out goals by Sam Greenwood, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and Brad Potts.

Argyle boss Wayne Rooney said: “I am angry because that performance is nowhere near good enough. We were easy to play against.

“Obviously I am pleased we drew the game but I can’t accept that performance.

“I am frustrated but even at 3-0 you can turn a game and I tried to get more attackers into the box, but we didn’t do that at first.

“The last three games we have hit a bit of a blip but we need to get out of it.

“The one thing I never question with the players is their character. We need to learn the little nuances of the game.

“It was a good game for Freddie and there’s a lot for him to learn today. He got his rewards for following in the free-kick.

“It could have been worse if it wasn’t for Dan (Grimshaw, goalkeeper). I felt for him today because of how easy it was for them to get through us and get shots off. It was schoolboy defending really.

“I think the fans had every right to boo at half-time but then when they saw us pushing and making changes and getting more balls in the box you could feel the atmosphere growing. I was delighted for them we got a point.

“It was important to stop losing after the last two games. You hope yet get a goal because you know that can alter the momentum, swing the game.”

It was North End’s second successive draw after they also squandered a 2-0 lead against Norwich in midweek.

Boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted: “It’s one that got away, without a doubt. Took the shine off a really good performance.

“We need to make sure we look back and take the positives from the game.

“We let them in there – and we need to learn from it.

“We had opportunities all game, when Plymouth went 3-1 we had better chances, when it was 3-2 we had better chances.

“We had enough experience on there to see the game out. At 3-0 we had more than enough on the pitch to keep a clean sheet.

“It’s how we use this. It was a lot of little things that added up at the end of the game that put us under pressure.

“Even when we conceded the goal we had an opportunity to go up the other end and get a fourth but we didn’t and that cost us in the end.

“Disappointed we didn’t control more of the ball when we had it. We want to keep building and be more of a threat in the game.

“The two or three (times) we switched off, they capitalised.”