We only go back four years for the main part of today’s ‘On This Day’, but why not when it involves a big away win in front of 7,000 PNE fans?!
Yes, it was on this day when we picked up our first win at Ewood Park since 1978 in a memorable afternoon for the Lilywhites.
North End kept their Play-Off hopes alive with a comeback win at ten-man Rovers to send the vocal away following back down the M65 in fine voice.
Paul Lambert’s hosts took the lead through Elliott Ward early on, but Shane Duffy was sent off for handling a Joe Garner effort on the line and the former Rovers striker stepped up and levelled from the spot.
The visitors then went in front before half-time, when Jordan Hugill's superb volley at the back post put the yellows in front just before the break.
Rovers pressed for an equaliser after the break, but visiting keeper Anders Lindegaard was largely untroubled.
After the game, manager Grayson said: “He's done well, Jordan [Hugill]. He's a handful. He knows what he needs to do. I'm delighted for him. It's a great ball from Gally [Paul Gallagher]. He knows where to put it and the areas for people to get into.
“It wasn't an easy finish, but he's delighted and we were all delighted to see it hit the back of the net.
“I think it [the sending off] was the correct decision. They started the game better than us. I'm disappointed we gave away the goal we did, but it's handball on the line and the referee made the right decision.”
Looking at other events to happen on the second day of April, David MacEachran played his one and only game for North End 94 years ago today, that coming in a goalless draw with Darlington, it may not seem noteworthy, but he is still someone of note due to his subsequent career.
Along with many other Scots, he went to play in America and signed for Fall River Marksmen and later Boston Soccer Club in the American Soccer League in the north east of the country.
He then joined four other American clubs before moving north of the border to Canada where he spent three seasons with Montreal Carsteel before returning to Scotland to end his career!
The 2nd April has been a good day to play at Deepdale, as we have won 14 and drawn three of the 19 home games played on this date.
Our first defeat was in 1977, 1-0 to Bury and the last time we played at home we went down by the same score to Derby County two years ago on what was a live Sky Sports came, with Tom Lawrence getting the only goal.