Match Preview: Sheffield United (H)

17 January 2022

It's a first midweek fixture under the lights at Deepdale since October's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, as Sheffield United make the journey across the Pennines on Tuesday evening.

Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Tuesday 18^th January, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: EFL Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 25/46)
Kit: Home kit – available to order here!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale up until kick-off from the ticket office at Deepdale, while supporters can also buy over the phone on 0344 856 1966 or online from www.mypne.com.

Fans attending will once again be required to provide evidence of their Covid-19 certification. Please read the full information regarding this by clicking here.

Our fan zone will be open from 5.30pm, with the usual offering of refreshments and live music. It will also then reopen after the game, with last orders at 10.15pm.

Match Coverage

Supporters worldwide, including those in the UK and Ireland, will be able to watch the game live on iFollow PNE with a £10 match pass. Get yours now by clicking here.

Live commentary is also available for £2.50, whereas we will be providing the usual coverage across our social media channels and here on PNE.Com.

Matchday Programme

Midfielder Ben Whiteman is our cover star and featured interview in Tuesday night's edition of The One And Only.

The former Sheffield United man discusses his move to Bramall Lane as a teenager, making his debut in place of ex-PNE midfielder Paul Coutts and much more.

Pick up a copy from around the ground for £3.50, while you can also order to your home through our publishing partners Ignition Sports Media.

Please note, this programme is the same issue which was printed for the game's initial Boxing Day date.

PNE Team News

First Team News

Ryan Expects ‘Good Footballing Side’ In Blades Test

17 January 2022

Ryan Lowe confirmed in his pre-match interview with iFollow that Josh Earl will miss out for the second game in a row with an ankle injury.

Ryan Ledson also missed the Birmingham City game through injury, but he is back in training and is expected to be available for selection.

Tom Barkhuizen will also be hoping to be included again after making his return from injury at the weekend following a month and a half on the sidelines.

The Opposition

Sheffield United come into this fixture level on points with PNE, with goal difference seeing the Blades just a position ahead of Ryan Lowe’s men.

Like North End, they have recently seen a change in management, with Paul Heckingbottom replacing Slavisa Jokanovic at the end of November.

He made an immediate impact, winning his first three games in charge of the side where he was previously U23s boss, but they arrive at Deepdale having lost their last two in all competitions.

Key Stats

Both Ben Whiteman and Daniel Iversen could make their 50^th appearance in all competitions for PNE in this fixture.

Sheffield United are one of the top ball-keepers in the division, averaging 59.5% possession per game, with only Swansea City and Fulham bettering that number.

Top of the scoring charts in the league so far this season for Sheffield United is Billy Sharp, who has six to his name, and he is now just one goal behind all-time Championship top goalscorer and former PNE man David Nugent.

Our Last Meeting

Emil Riis scored a last-gasp equaliser in the reverse fixture between these two earlier this season, firing home a volley to make it 2-2 in the 95^th minute.

Daniel Johnson scored his 50^th goal for Preston North End that night to make it 1-1 early in the first half, but it looked as though Sheffield United would take all three points as they went ahead on 84 minutes, but up popped Riis to earn a point.

Man In The Middle

Experienced EFL official David Webb will take charge of his second PNE game of the season, with the previous fixture being North End’s 2-1 victory away to AFC Bournemouth earlier this campaign.

Webb’s first time refereeing the Lilywhites came back in 2009, when goals from Neil Mellor and Billy Jones earned victory for Alan Irvine’s side over Peterborough United.

So far this term, Webb has shown 71 yellow cards and one red.

Pre-Match Interviews

Ryan Expects 'Good Footballing
Side' In Blades Test Barky Keen To
Impress Gaffer

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 2 Sheffield United 2

18 January 2022

Goals from Alan Browne and Emil Riis in the second half turned around a two-goal deficit to earn a point for ten-man Preston North End at home to Sheffield United.

North End went into the half-time break a man and two goals down, with Jayden Bogle and Billy Sharp on the scoresheet for the visitors, while Andrew Hughes saw red.

Alan Browne pulled a goal back for the home side in the second half and PNE kept pushing for that elusive second, and it arrived with a minute of normal time to go, as Riis poked home at the far post.

Ryan Lowe made two changes to his side from Saturday’s draw with Birmingham City, with Tom Barkhuizen and Scott Sinclair in to replace Greg Cunningham and Ched Evans, as both Ben Whiteman and Daniel Iversen made their 50th appearances for the club.

Barkhuizen was involved in the first real chance of the game, getting forward from his left wing back position to pull the ball back for Hughes, who saw his shot saved at the near post.

On 12 minutes, North End broke in numbers and Emil Riis did well to feed it through for Sinclair, but Foderingham came out on top one-on-one.

The visitors then went straight down the other end to come close themselves, with Iliman Ndiaye producing a great fingertip save out of Daniel Iversen down low to his left.

The Blades wouldn’t have to wait long for the lead, though, as Bogle fired a deflected shot under Iversen from the edge of the box after he had saved John Egan’s header from a corner.

They then had the advantage of men on the pitch as well as the scoreline on 38 minutes when David Webb showed Hughes a red card as he was adjudged to have brought down Rhian Brewster inside the area. Sharp stepped up for the visitors to fire down the middle from the spot to give them a two-goal lead at half-time.

Ndiaye came close to extending that advantage to three just a minute into the second period, but an acrobatic diving save from Iversen kept him out.

At the other end, North End so nearly got on the scoresheet themselves, with Barkhuizen’s floating cross finding the head of Browne, and his effort had to be tipped over the bar by Foderingham.

The Sheffield United ‘keeper then frustrated Daniel Johnson and Emil Riis in the 69^th minute, with the latter’s shot in particular testing the shot-stopper as he was played through by Sepp van den Berg.

However, he could do nothing about Browne’s effort a few moments later, with the skipper sending a powerful low effort past the goalkeeper after Johnson had pulled the ball back to him from the byline.

The Lilywhites kept pushing for an equaliser and it came through striker Riis, with substitute Ched Evans delivering a superb cross for the Dane to convert at the back post with a minute remaining, earning a share of the spoils for the hosts.

PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes; Potts (Rafferty, 45), Whiteman, Browne, Johnson, Barkhuizen (Evans, 65); Riis, Sinclair (Cunningham, 39). Subs not used: Ripley, Lindsay, McCann, Maguire.

Sheffield United line-up: Foderingham; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Bogle, Norwood, Hourihane, Ndiaye (Berge, 84), Stevens (Norrington-Davies, 84); Brewster (McGoldrick, 70), Sharp. Subs not used: Eastwood, Burke, , Slater, Gordon.

Attendance: 12,954 (2,510 away).

Referee: Mr D Webb.

Standings

Ryan Expects ‘Good Footballing Side’ In Blades Test

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