FORGET Andy Cole needing five chances to score in a match, the way North End are knocking the ball about, they could play all day and not trouble the back of the net.

After the wounding by Wolves on Tuesday, North End appeared to be a refreshed team as they set about attempting to clip the high-flying canaries' wings at Deepdale.

They had at least eight chances to do the business in front of goal, and successfully reduced Norwich to charges on the break.

But as with so many games this season, it was the home side who found themselves going a goal down, thanks in part to bad luck, but mainly due to North End's poor finishing and lack of a good final touch.

With just a minute on the clock, Fuller wasted a chance set up by Cresswell when he hurried the ball over the bar.

Two minutes later and Cresswell had headed the ball straight at Robert Green.

Eddie Lewis on nine minute ruffled the wrong side of the netting when he tried to do some damage with a Paul McKenna ball before Fuller created an effort smothered by the keeper after 20 minutes.

On 34 minutes, Paul McVey, seemingly dying just moments before after being tackled by Fuller - who was subsequently yellow-carded - began charging up the field.

Via Philip Mulryne, David Nielson collected the ball, whipped past Chris Lucketti and knocked the ball home.

Just moments later, Lucketti nearly made up for his poor defending when he got his head to a Paul McKenna but Robert Green pushed the ball wide.

With the resulting corner, Fuller lodged a great shot which hit Green straight on.

North End levelled the scores just six minutes into the second half when ever-threatening midfielder Eric Skora headed the ball into the path of Cresswell who hit home with a left-footed shot from 15 yards.

But just a minute later a defensive blunder from Colin Murdock, who should have cleared Paul Heckingbottom's long throw, handed Norwich the lead.

With the ball into the area, Neil Emblen headed on to McVeigh who scored with an impressive overhead kick.

North End seemed to slip down after that, still creating the chances but letting Norwich in much more, and so it proved when only desperate defending halted Nielson from grabbing a third for the Canaries with 25 minutes to go.

On 77 minutes, Cresswell played the ball across to Fuller on the edge of the box, but his cross floated across the face of the goal with no-one in a Lilywhite shirt far enough forward to give it the gentle tap it needed which would have seen the spoils shared.

Four corners followed in quick succession as North End piled on the pressure in hunt of at least an equaliser.

All produced good chances, the most spectacular of which result saw Lewis blast at Green from 25 yards.

It was one-way traffic in the dying minutes as North End piled on the pressure and 1-2-7 was the formation adopted as North End fought for the equaliser but it was uncoordinated desperate stuff.

To be fair, they weren't helped by the referee, a Paul Reedier, whose understanding of the rules of the game was called into question throughout the game by the home fans.

A classic example came 20 minutes from the end when Fuller fairly challenged Malky McKay for the ball, McKay went down as Fuller went off on one of his runs just to be stopped in his tracks by the whistle-mad ref.

He then ignored Fuller's fair appeal for a penalty and just watched on as the Norwich wall handled the ball in the box.

This man should not be allowed near a football pitch again.

But had just 50 per cent of North End's first half chances been converted, then the odd poor refereeing decision can be overcome.

Even with around 1,500 Norwich fans in the ground, the attendance was only 13,550.

The fans aren't happy, the boo-boys are clearing their throats.

There is only so long the likes of Lucketti and Brown can carry on asking for the fans support with out producing the goods.

PNE 1 - Norwich 2

NORTH END: Moilanen, Alexander, Lewis, Etuhu, Broomes, Lucketti (captain), McKenna, Fuller, Murdock, Cresswell, Skora

SUBS: Lucas, Cartwright, Jackson, Healy, Rankine NORWICH: Green, Kenton, Drury, MacKay, Nielson, Mulryne, Holt, Emblen (captain), Nedergaard, McVeigh, Heckingbottom

SUBS: Fleming, Abbey, Southall, Easton, Crichton