High in incident, low on quality, and were it not for the former, this would be an easily forgettable game.

Flashpoints at the end of both halves provided the talking points for an otherwise uneventful 90 minutes at Deepdale.

Whereas Makhtar Gueye’s petulant red at Burnley ruined the game as a spectacle, Sam Greenwood’s sending off for an ugly, needless lunge was the spark that ignited a game which hadn’t to that point got going.

Every decision thereafter was hotly contested and questioned, cards brandished at regular intervals, the football itself becoming something of a sideshow.

The yellow card for a nothing tackle by Todd Cantwell, and subsequent one for Andi Weimann’s protestations, summed up what the game became after Greenwood’s dismissal.

Six Rovers players in all were carded, plus Owen Beck’s late red, leaving them with the second worst disciplinary record in the division at this early juncture. They’re certainly a committed bunch.

Play was allowed to go on for long enough after the whistle had gone for a foul for Beck to be drawn into kicking into Duane Holmes, eventually seeing red after the fracas had died down.

It won’t be the last we hear of that incident, with Beck alleging (media law training coming in here) that he was bitten by Milutin Osmajic who somehow was booked for dissent, but not punished for a much more serious indiscretion.

Rovers are unlikely to win an appeal against Beck’s red, even if they were to lodge one, a real disappointment having fitted in so well at the early stages of his fledging loan stay.

As for the game, this version aren’t alone in being a Rovers side that struggled to break down an opposition who parked bodies behind the ball, the play feeling too one-paced, the introduction of Amario Cozier-Duberry was one I would’ve liked to have seen earlier than it happened to add some individuality and directness to proceedings.

On this occasion, the subs didn’t have the desired effect that Eustace would’ve hoped for, and in truth, Rovers really lacked ideas across the piece.

Though having just watched the two best teams in the country slug it out in an attack vs. defence second half, and Rovers holding out so well at Turf Moor when a man light, having a numerical advantage doesn’t come without its challenges.

What definitely flashed into my mind as North End won some late set pieces was Rovers losing late on to 10-man Sheffield United in 2022, then managed by current North End boss Paul Heckingbottom.

Rovers’ play out for the back was laboured and sloppy, high balls from back to front meat and drink for the PNE backline, and little cohesion to the build-up. From an attacking perspective, it has felt a little akin to the early days under JDT.

Efficient and clinical infront of goal, without being overly creative, with the team built around solid foundations. Stats around chance creation are low, contrasted to an impressive shot conversion rate of around 20 per cent.

The spine of the team is really strong, the addition of Danny Batth to the backline and Hayden Carter moving to right back to replace the injured Brittain has given Rovers an extra steel, and to Carter’s credit, his rampaging runs down the right was as likely an avenue to goal as any.

Aynsley Pears’ improved performances look to be a result of the competition for his place, and there are few complaints at this point about the spine of Rovers’ side, and in truth, the defensive aspect.

While any combination of the defensive six players feels settled, every Rovers supporter may well come up with a different combination as to the personnel to fulfil the roles behind the striker.

Lewis Baker on the left feels similar to the Callum Brittain wing experiment of last season, with a very short shelf life, that could well be cut short anyway by an injury to the Stoke loanee having been on the receiving end of Greenwood’s first half challenge.

Ryan Hedges and Tyrhys Dolan have had the nod in all six games so far, but it doesn’t feel like either has a place nailed down. Arnor Sigurdsson would be the most natural of Rovers’ left-sided options, but his fitness continues to be a concern, having missed 10 of the last 14 matches across the end of last season and the start of this. He’s managed only 274 minutes, and two starts, since Eustace took over.

It is unlikely that Eustace will break up the Travis-Tronstad axis anytime soon (both are now on three yellow cards it should be added), so the chance for Todd Cantwell to stake his claim could well come in that №10 role.

To me, it seems Rovers need someone to link the play in central areas, and could also give Hedges a player to link with when cutting in from the right flank, and subsequently help bring more from his game too.

But to have chalked up 12 points, and be one of only three teams to remain unbeaten, with plenty of scope for improvement, is a fine place to be.