Preston 1-1 Town - Half-Time
Saturday, 22nd Aug 2015 16:01

Brett Pitman netted his first goal for the Blues in the 24th minute but Daniel Johnson netted an equaliser 13 minutes later with Town and Preston locked at 1-1 at Deepdale at half-time.

Pitman - making his full league debut for the Blues - David McGoldrick and Dean Gerken were all included from the off for the first time in the league this season.

McGoldrick lined up behind Pitman with Freddie Sears on the right and Ryan Fraser on the left.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles dropped to the bench, while Daryl Murphy missed out with a calf injury and Bartosz Bialkowski due to a personal family matter. Michael Crowe was on the bench.

Teddy Bishop and Kevin Bru (hamstring), Jonny Parr (thigh) and Luke Hyam (knee surgery) remain sidelined.

Preston included play-off final hat-trick hero Jermaine Beckford on the bench, his first involvement this season after he suffered a knock in pre-season.

Town started brightly and won an early corner but Fraser’s kick was cleared at the near post by Paul Gallagher.

Preston went close in the eighth minute when Joe Garner, who scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup replay between the sides in January 2014, fed Chris Humphrey but Jonas Knudsen did well to get across to block his shot on the turn.

The home side began to put the Blues under a bit of pressure and two minutes later Paul Huntington headed just over from a corner on the right.

The Lilywhites should have gone in front in the 12th minute when Garner somehow headed a Gallagher freekick from the right wide from around four yards when it seemed easier to score.

Gallagher subsequently hit a shot which struck Tommy Smith and deflected harmlessly through to Gerken, then the Blues keeper was forced to fist away a powerful shot from the former Blackburn and Leicester man, who had been found in space on the left by Greg Cunningham.

Preston continued the pressure, Gerken saving well from Garner and then Gallagher, although with the flag already raised, then Garner’s effort on the turn was blocked by Smith after he was found in a promising position on the edge of the six-yard box.

On 19 Garner scraped another strike wide with the home side having had much the better of the game. The Blues had struggled to create anything with Murphy’s aerial presence greatly missed when long balls were sent forward.

There was another scare for Town in the 23rd minute when Humphrey escaped behind Knudsen as Neil Kilkenny played a superb cross-field ball from the Preston left. Fortunately for Town Humphrey screwed his effort well into the Blues supporters behind the goal.

Almost immediately, and thoroughly against the run of play, Town went in front with their first attempt on goal. Sears found himself space on the left before whipping over a cross and Pitman flicked a superb header to Preston keeper Jordan Pickford’s right and into the net for his first goal for the Blues. It was also the first conceded by the Lilywhites in the league this season.

Preston were forced into a change in the 32nd minute when Cunningham picked up a knock and was replaced by Calum Woods.

The Town goal had knocked the wind out of Preston’s sails somewhat but in the 37th minute they got back on terms.

A Knudsen long throw from the left was cleared and Preston broke quickly with the Blues caught short of numbers at the back. Humphrey fed Daniel Johnson, who was breaking into the area to his left unchecked, and the midfielder calmly slotted the ball past Gerken.

Town immediately looked to restore their lead, Sears cutting the ball across from the right but Pickford claimed ahead of Fraser.

A minute before the end of scheduled time John Welsh was booked for a clumsy tackle on Jonathan Douglas.

Town had been fortunate to go in front when they did with the home side having dominated up to then and having had chances to take the lead.

Once they had gone ahead, the Blues never made their advantage tell and overall Preston were well worth their equaliser when it came, even though it was a very poor goal to concede from a Town perspective.

The Blues struggled to pose much of a threat going forward throughout the half, Pitman’s excellent goal aside, with McGoldrick largely unable to get into the game and Murphy’s aerial presence missed.

Preston: Pickford, Clarke, Huntington, Wright, Cunningham (Woods 32), Welsh, Kilkenny, Johnson, Gallagher, Humphrey, Garner. Subs: Kirkland, Vermijl, Browne, Brownhill, Reid, Beckford.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Fraser, Sears, McGoldrick, Pitman. Subs: Crowe, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Tabb, Coke, Touré, Maitland-Niles. Referee: Mark Brown (East Yorkshire).

Photo: Action Images

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