Preston North End vs Aston Villa Match Preview

27 December 2018

Preston North End draw to a close their 2018 efforts by entertaining Aston Villa at Deepdale this Saturday.

Ticket Information: Aston Villa

27 December 2018

The Lilywhites shared the points in a heart-stopping six-goal thriller at Villa Park back in October and half the action will be value for money for the bumper festive crowd expected in PR1 for the clash with Dean Smith’s side.

The former Brentford boss took over the Villans after the aforementioned 3-3 draw with North End, which proved to be Steve Bruce’s last game in charge of the second city side.

Since then, they have pushed towards the top six and picked up an excellent win at Swansea on Boxing Day, after another late thriller, versus table-toppers Leeds United just before Christmas.

Ticket Information
It’s a 3pm kick-off for our final game of 2018, as we take on Dean Smith’s Aston Villa in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale this Saturday…

Click here for more information

Or click here to buy a ticket for the game

Ref Watch
For the third time this season we have experienced match official Geoff Eltringham taking charge of the Lilywhites, for what is our final game of 2018…

Click here for details of the officials

Memorable Match
Back at the beginning on October 2016, North End put in a top class display to end the reign of Roberto Di Matteo as Aston Villa manager…

Click here for a look back to the game

The One And Only Issue 15
Alan Browne admits to enjoying home comforts a little too much – and now he wants some travel cheers…

Click here for details of this Saturday’s matchday programme and more from Alan

Team News
Manager Alex Neil will once again have a head count ahead of the visit of Aston Villa, for the two teams’ final game of 2018…

Click here for the latest team news

Match Coverage
Whether you’re overseas and watching on iFollow or in the UK and listening to the game on our coverage, you’ll hear the tones of former PNE striker Brett Ormerod this weekend…

Click here for details of how to follow the match

Alex Neil’s Preview
Preston North End manager Alex Neil says his side should channel the qualities they showed in their second half performance at Villa Park back in October when they face the same opponents this weekend in the final game of 2018…

Click here to watch the manager’s pre-match interview

Jordan Storey Interview
Preston North End’s young central defender Jordan Storey is looking forward to his latest challenge when Aston Villa visit Deepdale for the final game of 2018…

Click here to hear from the defender ahead of the clash with the Villans

Match Reports

Preston North End 1 Aston Villa 1

29 December 2018

Preston North End took a point in their final game of 2018, which given they had 11 first team players out and finished the game with a 16 and 17 on the pitch, was an outstanding effort from Alex Neil’s men.

The PNE goal came with Lukas Nmecha getting his first for the club after Daniel Johnson’s cross from the right, equalising Tammy Abraham’s first half header and it was no more than the home side deserved from a game where they perhaps should also have had two penalties and had a goal ruled out that replays showed was not offside.

With only 12 fit senior outfield players, the manager had little choice in his starting XI, Jordan Storey and Ryan Ledson in for the injured Alan Browne and Ben Davies.

And it was Storey who had a great chance to open the scoring after only two minutes as North End had much the better of the majority of the first half.

A Paul Gallagher corner was pushed out to Paul Huntington by goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, the No.23 heading the ball down for his fellow centre half to strike on the volley, but it crashed against the bar from 12 yards out.

Within a minute came another great chance for the Lilywhites as a brilliant ball over the top by Gallagher sent Tom Barkhuizen in behind, but he couldn’t get the ball to come down and visiting skipper James Chester deflected his lob wide, although referee Geoff Eltringham gave a goal kick!

On the quarter of an hour mark the home side had the ball in the net and it should have countyed. Nmecha ran through a slotted home from Graham Burke’s through-ball, replays showing him onside despite the assistant’s flag on the Invincibles side going up.

Just after the half hour mark a wonderful save by Nyland denied PNE the opener again, after PNE pressure won the ball and former Villan Johnson played a ball over the top that Burke struck sweetly on the volley only for the keeper to make an outstanding stop to push it over. From Gallagher’s resulting corner Huntington headed straight at Nyland from 12 yards out.

But in the final minute of the half the visitors went ahead completely against the run of play, England striker Tammy Abraham heading in from Glenn Whelan’s left-wing corner from six yards out after shrugging off his marker.

After only 30 seconds of the second half Nmecha was sent through by Barkhuizen, his shot beating Nyland, but it came off the inside of the right-hand post away somehow with the Villa’s lead intact.

North End had a very strong shout for a penalty ten minutes into the half when Nyland came out and flattened Tom Barkhuizen in the box in a 50/50 challenge for the ball. The referee looked like he was going to give a foul the visitors way, when the replays looked like a spot kick.

Another penalty shout came two minutes later as Ledson was brought down in the aftermath of Barkhuizen meeting a cross from the left by Johnson, beating Nyland, but Alan Hutton hooking off the line and then the midfielder being hauled down by Conor Hourihane.

But they were deservedly level on 61 minutes and it was Nmecha who grabbed is long-awaited goal!

Some brilliant play saw Barkhuizen send Johnson free in the penalty area, he drove to the byline and then drilled it across the six-yard box where Ahmed Elmohamady slid in and kicked the ball off the North End No.45 and into the Town End goal.

The on loan Manchester City striker was now full of confidence and he broke onto a Gallagher ball from in the centre circle, got to 25 yards out and fizzed a shot that beat Nyland, but also flew an inch past the right-hand upright.

He then got in behind Bree from Ledson’s through ball, the defender lucky not to be carded to trying to foul Nmecha in the run through, but the former Barnsley man recovered just to get a toe on the ball and put the ball out for a corner – but again questions were asked, why no free kick and card.

The pace of the North End forward line was causing problem after problem for the visitors and Lesson again sent Barkhuizen clear. He rounded Nyland and from a tight angle saw his shot come back off the post and back to him, unable to find the target with the follow up.

Referee Eltringham was centre of attention again with 20 minutes to go as Burke was once again scythed down with another tackle that this time finally produced a card and a free kick 30 yards from goal in a right-hand channel.

Another shout for a penalty from the free kick as Andrew Hughes’ shot appeared to come off a hand in the box, with a corner given, although this one was certainly not as clear cut as the previous two decisions that should have gone PNE’s way.

With a minute of normal time remaining substitute Birkir Bjarnason somehow fired over from a yard out and then the same man was denied by Declan Rudd with an strong left hand diving away to palm the ball away.

Scholars Adam O’Reilly and Ethan Walker both came on in stoppage time for North End, the latter, 16, becoming the third youngest player in the club’s history as the game ended with North End still looking for a winner, but they had to settle for a point, which given the circumstances, was one of the results of the season.

PNE line-up: Rudd, Clarke (c) (Fisher, 85), Hughes, Ledson, Storey, Huntington, Barkhuizen, Johnson, Nmecha, Burke (O’Reilly, 90), Gallagher (Walker, 90). Subs not used: Crowe, Fisher, Woods, Simpson, Baxter.

Aston Villa line-up: Nyland, Chester (c), Whelan (Bjarnason, 75), McGinn, Bolasie (Adomah, 68), Hourihane, Bree, Abraham, Hutton, El Ghazi, Almohamady. Subs not used: Bunn, Whelan, Hogan, Davis, Kodjia, Revan.

Attendance: 19,126 (5,629 Aston Villa fans)

Referee: Mr G Eltringham

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Aston Villa

27 December 2018

It’s a 3pm kick-off for our final game of 2018, as we take on Dean Smith’s Aston Villa in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale this Saturday.

First Team News

Ref Watch: Aston Villa

27 December 2018

Normal matchday prices apply for this game and you can click here for a full run down of the prices and concession categories on offer for league games at Deepdale.

Tickets are now on general sale from the ticket office at Deepdale, either to be loaded to your member card or via a paper ticket. For more information on member cards and their usage, click here.

For those turning up and buying on the day, purchases can be made in person at both the Sir Tom Finney ticket office and also use the Invincibles Pavilion ticket office, which can be used to buy tickets for any part of the ground, not just the Pavilion. The Sir Tom Finney ticket office is open from 9am on a matchday and the Invincibles Pavilion ticket office is open from 1pm.

Tickets can be purchased at Deepdale from 9am until 5pm on Thursday, 9am until 6pm on Friday night, from 9am until kick-off on the day of the game, both in person and over the ticket hotline – 0344 856 1966.

First Team News

Memorable Match: Aston Villa

27 December 2018

Tickets can be purchased online at MyPNE.Com 24/7 right up until three hours before kick-off, with collections available from the Sir Tom Finney Stand collections windows, to the left of the ticket office. The online service is now fully responsive on both mobile and tablet.

Or, if you have a member card, you can buy right up until kick-off on MyPNE.Com and load your ticket straight to your card!

Away end tickets are not available on the day, at the request of the visiting club, however, any collections can be made from the away ticket office next to the entrance of the Bill Shankly Kop on Lowthorpe Road, open from 1.30pm.

For home fans travelling to the game the Leyland shuttle bus will be in operation for the game, stopping at the usual points; pick up times as usual.

Standings

Ticket Information: Aston Villa

Ref Watch: Aston Villa

Memorable Match: Aston Villa

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