PNE stopper Andy Lonergan tells pne.com about his memories of Bramall Lane... or his lack of them!
The North End keeper has been to Sheffield United's home more than most in his PNE career and admits that is has been something of a bogey stadium for the Lilywhites. Lonergan was between the sticks for Preston's disappointing Play-Off defeat against the Blades last year and admits that though it's a game he might want to banish from his memory, he can't remember a large chunk of the match anyway!
"It's just one of those things, over the course of the season we probably weren't a better team than Sheffield United and they probably deserved to go on," Lonners said of the 2009 Play-Off semi-final defeat.
"They finished third so they deserved it, I remember thinking it was a great occasion but I remember getting knocked in the head after 20 minutes and I couldn't remember the rest of the first half, I watched it back on video afterwards and I saw the ball quite a bit, about three or four times but I don't remember it! It was very strange.
"Last season they had a wide free-kick which deceived everyone and went in and a couple of years before that we were winning 1-0 and they got a penalty late in the game when somebody handballed it and Beattie stuck the penalty away - that was harsh."
"I remember getting knocked in the head after 20 minutes and I couldn't remember the rest of the first half."
North End's last ten years in the Championship have seen them visit Bramall Lane a total of ten times and despite leading by two goals twice in those games they have never got a sniff of victory. Preston's last victory at Sheffield United came in November 1978 when an Alex Bruce strike settled the game.
Despite this misfortune, Lonergan is going into the game with plenty of optimism after North End won two of their last three trips on the road.
"We should go into this game with a bit of confidence," Lonergan said.
"It's a stadium we seem to be visiting pretty often, they are a good side, a good club and it's a good place to go because there's always a very good atmosphere.
"They have got rid of their manager so perhaps the crowd will be a little bit more patient and buzzing a bit more but that doesn't really matter to us.
"I was very happy with the clean sheet against Portsmouth, it would have been nice to have got one on Tuesday night but you have got to give Bradford a bit of credit, I thought they were outstanding.
"Sometimes it is good to win like that, in games where you have to dig in when you are under a bit of pressure away from home, it shows that we have got a good bit of character."
North End should be boosted by the return of Billy Jones and Sean St. Ledger for the game against the Blades. St. Ledger played only 45 minutes of the Carling Cup win, whilst Billy Jones was rested with a sore knee, Lonergan believes both are vital to PNE's success.
He said: "It's a good back four, Jonesy is an exceptional full-back, he's a decent centre-half but when you are playing players out of position it has an effect on the team. Jonesy coming back in at right-back and Ledge returning, it shows how good Ledge is but it also shows how good of a full-back Billy Jones is, we look really solid.
"Keeping everyone fit is our aim because we have got a pretty small squad. The mood in the camp has been pretty good all season, I did an interview after the Swansea game and I was a bit upset and straight after the game you can get into a bit of a rage, not appreciate the bigger picture.
"Against Doncaster and Swansea the game plan had worked, that first half hour was the most comfortable I had ever been at Swansea, so there are positives to take out of both of those games."
