| Preston North End 1 v 0 Ipswich Town EFL Championship Saturday, 23rd August 2025 Kick-off 15:00 |  |
Preston North End 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report Saturday, 23rd Aug 2025 17:06 Milutin Osmajic’s 11th-minute penalty saw Preston North End to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Deepdale. Jacob Greaves was adjudged to have fouled the Lilywhites striker with Town subsequently dominating possession while unable to take the handful of chances they created. The Blues were unchanged from last week’s 1-1 home draw with Southampton with Alex Palmer continuing in goal behind a back four of, from the right, Ben Johnson, skipper Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis. Jack Taylor and Azor Matusiwa were the midfield pairing behind Jack Clarke on the right, Sammie Szmodics in the middle and Jaden Philogene on the left. George Hirst was making his 50th Town start as the number nine. Kasey McAteer who signed from Leicester yesterday, was on the bench at Deepdale for the second week running having been an 86th-minute sub in the Foxes’ 2-1 defeat to the Lilywhites last Saturday. Chuba Akpom was among the Blues’ subs for the first time since joining the club on loan from Ajax earlier in the month. Preston also named an unchanged side following their victory over the Foxes with neither ex-Blues Will Keane, who is injured, or Dai Cornell in their 20-man squad. Town, in their all red second strip, struck the game’s first shot after just a minute, Philogene winning a tackle not far outside the home side’s area then, after briefly losing control himself, looping an effort well wide. But after that, the Blues struggled to make much headway going forward with Preston quickly winning the ball back - or possession surrendered cheaply - whenever Town sought to make forays forward. The Lilywhites caused a few more problems at the other end, Greaves cutting out a dangerous Thierry Small cross from the left. On nine, Davis brought the ball forward to the edge of the area with a defender hanging off him and shot over but with referee Matthew Donohue surprisingly opting not to award a free-kick. A minute later, Town had an even bigger reason to be irked with the referee when he awarded the home side a penalty. The Blues had struggled to get a bouncing ball out of their box and as the grounded Greaves attempted to clear, Osmajic went to ground. Referee Donohue pointed straight to the spot with the Town players protesting at length. Osmajic took the kick himself, Palmer diving to his right and the ball going to his left and into the net, the Montenegrin’s third goal in three Championship games this season. The goal meant Town have now gone 22 games without keeping a clean sheet, tying a club record from 1954/55. The Blues started to take control but with too many passes still going astray. On the quarter hour, Davis did well on the left and crossed low towards Hirst, but Lewis Gibson got in ahead of the Town number nine to clear. On 21, after a spell of possession, if not always the most composed, Johnson struck a powerful effort from the edge of the box past home keeper Daniel Iversen’s left post. Two minutes later, Clarke was found wide on the right, brought the ball forward into the area and hit a cross-shot which was cleared. Town had reacted well to going behind with their 4,000-plus fans giving their their full backing. In the 26th minute, Philogene brought the ball inside from the left with two defenders hanging onto him and was eventually brought down but having had the opportunity to pass to Szmodics or Clarke, who were in the clear inside the box. Andrew Hughes was shown the game’s first yellow card. Town continued to see most of the ball with Preston happy to sit back on their lead and look for breaks. On 36, Matusiwa was dispossessed on the Town right and Greaves was forced to step across to intercept a ball forward for Michael Smith. Four minutes later, Clarke wafted over a superb cross from the right which beat Gibson and reached Hirst behind him. However, with the ball bouncing just in front of him, the Scotland international sent the ball well into the stand. Johnson was shown Town’s first yellow card of the game on 41 for clipping Osmajic on the Preston left. As the half moved into two minutes of injury Szmodics crossed towards Hirst. The striker was unable to get a clean touch on the ball and Clarke momentarily looked like he might get on it until Iversen claimed. Aside from Pol Valentin being booked for a foul on Philogene, that was the last action the half. Having gone behind to the early penalty, the Blues dominated possession without carving out a clear-cut chance, Hirst’s effort from Clarke’s cross having been the best opportunity. Once in front, Preston had been content to sit back and catch Town on breaks, trying to make the most of the Blues’ tendency to give the ball away before getting to the danger zone. Three minutes after the restart, Clarke was sent away on the right and made a first-time pass to Philogene breaking down the middle, but the England U21 international had strayed well offside. Much to the home fans’ amusement, the former Aston Villa man additionally sent his low shot wide. Philogene was tripped just outside the area to the left in the 53rd minute, Clarke hitting the free-kick into the wall and Johnson’s subsequent volley deflecting wide. Following the resultant corner, the ball appeared to strike a Preston hand but the linesman’s waved flag only indicated a Town offside. As the hour-mark approached, Johnson shot over from the edge after the ball had broken to him, then Szmodics seized on an error in the Preston defence but his effort at goal from a tight angle on the right was blocked. The Blues were looking increasingly threatening and in the 62nd minute their slickest move of the game saw Hirst cleverly lay the ball into the path of Clarke breaking into the right of the box but somehow Small managed to stab it behind for a corner, his teammates showing their appreciation. In the 66th minute Town made a triple change, Conor Chaplin, debutant McAteer and Ashley Young replacing Philogene, Clarke and Johnson. Szmodics moved to the left with Chaplin taking his usual number 10 role. McAteer’s first action in a Blues shirt was to win a corner, which Iversen spilled and Greaves stabbed at at the far post with the ball appearing to be on its way wide when it was cleared. The new signing had an opportunity to make himself some debut headlines in the 71st minute when Matusiwa’s excellent pass played in Szmodics. A defender’s toe stabbed it away from the forward, who still looks a little off full sharpness, and fell to McAteer, but his shot flew well over. Preston made a treble change of their own a minute later, Daniel Jebbison, Odeluga Offiah and Stefan Thordarson replacing Smith, Valentin and Alfie Devine. Town made their final two changes on 77 Szmodics, who had been booed throughout for his Blackburn connections, and Matusiwa, who had had by far his most influential game for the Blues, making way for debutant Akpom and Jens Cajuste. Preston switched Hughes for Liam Lindsay. Goalscorer Osmajic was booked in the 82nd minute for failing to retreat as Town prepared to take a goal-kick. Moments later, Small threw himself to ground holding his face as he saw the ball out ahead of McAteer, the home fans baying for a red card. Referee Donohue eventually booked McAteer and then Small, much to the delight of the Town support, who clearly felt the Preston left wing-back was trying to get the Blues debutant sent off. Small was subbed two minutes later, Andrija Vukcevic taking over. Town kept pushing for an equaliser as the game moved towards the end of the scheduled 90, a Blues corner flashing across the area from the left as seven additional minutes were announced. Four minutes into added time, Preston were unable to clear a free-kick on the right, the ball eventually falling to Jack Taylor on the edge of the area but his shot failed to trouble Iversen, who saved comfortably. Ali McCann was booked for a foul on Akpom as the new loanee broke forward with Town unable to make anything of the free-kick. Within a minute, Hirst did well to keep the ball in on the right of the box and played back to Chaplin, but his strike was blocked. In the dying seconds, Young crossed low from the right towards McAteer, who tried to get Chaplin on the ball but it was eventually cleared and referee Donohue’s whistle brought the game to an end. Even though they were far from fluent, they created a handful of openings but were unable to make the most of them, Hirst’s opportunity in the first half, Philogene straying offside in the early second-half break, Small’s interception ahead of Clarke, McAteer blazing over and Taylor failing to get a clean strike towards the end. Town’s tough opening to the season is looking tougher having taken only two points from their first three games and now after falling to their first defeat, which leaves them 18th in the early season table. The Blues, who still have significant transfer business to be done before the window closes, are next in action at home to Derby County next Saturday. Preston: Iversen, Storey, Gibson, Hughes (Lindsay 78), Valentin (Thordarson 73), Whiteman (c), McCann, Small (Vukcevic 86), Devine (Offiah 73), Smith (Jebbison 73), Osmajic. Unused: Walton, Carroll, Dobbin, Gryba. Ipswich: Palmer, Johnson (Young 66), O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa (Cajuste 77), Taylor, Clarke (McAteer 66), Szmodics (Akpom 77), Philogene (Chaplin 66), Hirst. Unused: Walton, Young, Woolfenden, Kipre, Ogbene. Referee: Matthew Donohue (Manchester).
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