Match Preview: Coventry City (A)

30 August 2022

Preston North End will play a third consecutive away game, while Coventry City feature at home for the first time this season when the two sides meet on Wednesday evening.

Match Information
Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena
Date: Wednesday 31^st August, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 7/46)
Kit: Third kit – available in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale from www.mypne.com until 1pm on Wednesday, while sales will continue from the ticket office and over the phone on 0344 856 1966 until 2pm.

Tickets will also be available on the night of the game from turnstiles one to five, and please note, sales will be cash-only.

Supporters can also collect any pre-purchased tickets from stewards at the away turnstiles. Full ticket details can be found here.

How To Follow The Game

Due to the decision of the home club, this game will not be shown live on iFollow PNE to fans in the UK and Ireland, but fans overseas can watch live as normal.

Supporters can listen to live commentary from Guy Clarke and David Buchanan with a £2.50 match pass or £4.49 monthly pass. You can subscribe to iFollow by clicking here.

There will also be coverage across our social media channels and here on PNE.Com before, during, and after the game.

In The Dressing Room

First Team News

Gaffer Considering Changes For Coventry

30 August 2022

After three weeks out with an ankle injury, Álvaro Fernández is expected to be available for selection after a return to training.

Bambo Diaby and Sean Maguire have also been involved in training recently, however this game is likely to come too soon for the pair of them, but it is hoped they could be available for Saturday’s home game against Birmingham City.

Andrew Hughes’ shoulder injury will be assessed on Tuesday before the squad travel to Coventry.

A Look At Our Hosts

While Coventry City go into the game sat bottom of the table, that is certainly not a fair representation of where Mark Robins’ side are at.

Due to troubles with their pitch, they have had to postpone all of their home Championship fixtures so far this season, meaning they’ve only played three league games – all away from home – and taken just a single point from them.

Having finished in the top half last season, there was plenty of reported interest in their star players – the likes of Callum O’Hare, Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyökeres – but at the time of writing, they all remain at the club and will be looking to reach further heights this campaign.

Going Head To Head

Games played: 44
PNE wins: 19
Draws: 15
Coventry City wins: 10
Last PNE victory: PNE 2-1 Coventry, 20^th October 2021

One To Watch

It’s hard to look past Viktor Gyökeres as Coventry City’s main man, with the Swedish striker having netted 18 goals in all competitions last season.

He’s reportedly attracted a lot of attention, with Premier League side Everton just one club supposedly interested in the 24-year-old, and Mark Robins is unsurprisingly desperate to keep hold of their biggest goal threat.

Gyökeres got off the mark for the season in the opening day draw at Sunderland and the former Brighton & Hove Albion man will be keen to extend his tally on Wednesday night.

Match Officials

John Busby will take charge of only his third Preston North End fixture on Wednesday evening.

Busby’s previous two PNE games both came last season at Deepdale, firstly in the 2-2 draw against Bristol City, before returning for the defeat to Reading in February.

Busby has refereed six games so far this campaign, showing 22 yellow cards in that period.

Match Reports

Match Report: Coventry City 0 PNE 1

31 August 2022

Emil Riis’ first goal of the season was enough to earn Preston North End three points away to Coventry City as the unbeaten start to the league campaign continued.

Riis came on as a second-half substitute and opened his account in emphatic style on 73 minutes, and that proved to be the difference as PNE kept a seventh successive Championship clean sheet.

Ryan Lowe made three changes from the weekend’s draw to Cardiff City, as Ali McCann, Ben Woodburn and Ched Evans came in for Alan Browne, Daniel Johnson and Ryan Ledson.

Greg Cunningham had the first real opportunity of the game, as he drove forward with the ball and fired a low, left-footed effort at goal, and Ben Wilson had to dive to his left to tip it around the post.

After Cunningham then had a penalty shout waved away, Woodburn came close on a couple of occasions, firstly heading inches wide on the end of a Ben Whiteman corner, before hitting a 20-yard strike over the bar a few minutes later.

Freddie Woodman was called into action just after the half-hour mark, as Callum Doyle stepped into midfield and unleashed a strong shot at goal, which the goalkeeper did well to reach and parry away from danger.

There was then a hugely contentious moment on 36 minutes as McCann played Troy Parrott through on goal and he was brought down just outside the area by goalkeeper Wilson, who was only shown a yellow card for the challenge, which prevented the striker rounding him for what was potentially a tap-in.

A minute before the break, Robbie Brady produced a crucial block at the front post to keep out Jake Bidwell’s header, and in turn ensured PNE went into the break goalless.

On the other side of half-time, Woodman had his crossbar to thank as Waghorn’s deflected effort looked like it was sneaking in before striking the woodwork.

Ben Whiteman soon had a chance to open the scoring himself as the ball rolled out kindly to him on the edge of the box, but he sent his effort into the stands.

Riis was brought off the bench in the 66^th minute and seven minutes later found himself on the scoresheet, as Parrott’s blocked shot landed at the feet of the Dane, who slammed home to open the scoring.

The hosts almost immediately had an equaliser as a looping Bidwell header hit the crossbar and bounced away from goal.

North End had a big chance to double their lead in the closing stages as Parrott was sent through on goal, but a slip cost him his chance and he played it to Riis, who was just beaten to it by a defender.

Riis then could have had another in the final minute of normal time, sent through on goal by Fernández, but 'keeper Wilson came out on top.

Nevertheless, PNE held on for yet another clean sheet and extended their unbeaten start to the league campaign.

Coventry City line-up: Wilson; Rose (Tavares, 89), McFadzean, Doyle; Eccles (Dabo, 67), Allen, Sheaf (Hamer, 67), Bidwell; Waghorn (Palmer, 67); Godden, Gyökeres. Subs not used: Moore, Panzo, Walker.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham; Potts (Fernández, 66), Whiteman, McCann, Woodburn (Browne, 57), Brady; Evans (Riis, 66), Parrott. Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Johnson, Ledson.

Attendance: 18,913.

Referee: Mr J Busby.

Ticket News

Coventry City Tickets On Sale

29 August 2022

Tickets for Preston North End’s away game against Coventry City on Wednesday 31st August remain on sale.

Ryan Lowe will take his side to the Coventry Building Society Arena for a 7.45pm kick-off, and the club have been allocated 1,000 tickets for this fixture. As of Wednesday morning, around 150 were remaining on sale.

Tickets will remain on sale from www.mypne.com until 1pm on Wednesday, while sales will continue from the ticket office and over the phone on 0344 856 1966 until 2pm.

Tickets will also be available on the night of the game from turnstiles one to five, and please note, sales will be cash-only. Supporters can also collect any pre-purchased tickets from stewards at the away turnstiles.

Ticket prices
Adults £20
Seniors (60 and over) £15
18 to 21-year-olds £15
NUS card holders and Armed Forces £15
U18s £10

Disabled supporters will pay in accordance to their relevant age category, with a carer ticket provided free of charge if required. There are ten tickets available for supporters in a wheelchair.

Please note, our supporters may be held back after the full-time whistle due to crowd control measures.

Coach Travel

Coach travel has now sold out from Leyland, and there is now very limited availability from Deepdale for this fixture. Travel is priced at £15 for Ambassadors and £17 for non-Ambassadors, and coaches will depart at 3.15pm from both locations.

Car Parking

Supporters looking to drive to the game can pre-book parking spaces through Coventry City's official off-site parking partner. You can book a space by clicking here.

Standings

Gaffer Considering Changes For Coventry

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