Preston North End vs Norwich City Match Preview

11 February 2019

The league leaders visit Deepdale on Wednesday night, with the Lilywhites entertaining Daniel Farke’s Norwich City under the lights in PR1.

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Norwich City

11 February 2019

The Canaries returned to the summit of the SkyBet Championship with a convincing 3-0 home win over bitter rivals Ipswich Town on Sunday lunchtime and they will be looking to extend their seven-game unbeaten run against their former manager.

However, North End themselves are in fine form and full of confidence, their own derby victory – over Bolton Wanderers – making them five unbeaten, with three wins from the last four games and now look to extend that, with a chance of moving into the top half of the table, with three points and results elsewhere going in their favour.

This is a big carrot dangling at the end of the stick after a difficult period over Christmas, when injuries and suspensions held back the side, after a promising run prior to that.

Ticket Information
It’s a 7.45pm kick-off for our second Wednesday home game of the 2018/19 season, as we take on Daniel Farke’s league leaders Norwich City in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale this midweek…

Click here for more information

Or click here to buy a ticket for the game

Ref Watch
For the fourth time this season we have experienced match official Geoff Eltringham taking charge of the Lilywhites as we take on league leaders Norwich City…

Click here for details of the officials

Memorable Match
It has been ten years since the Lilywhites beat Norwich City at Deepdale in the league and it came exactly the same week – in fact it was ten years on Thursday…

Click here for a look back to the game

The One And Only Issue 19
North End goalkeeper Declan Rudd is the cover star of Wednesday night’s programme against his former club and league leaders Norwich City…

Click here for details of this Wednesday’s matchday programme and more from Dec

Team News
Manager Alex Neil will have options to change his squad, with this the second of three games in a week…

Click here for the latest team news

Match Coverage
This Wednesday’s game at Deepdale is live on iFollow PNE for both overseas and UK-based supporters…

Click here for details of how to follow the match

Opposition View

Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke is expecting a tough game when he brings his table-topping Canaries to Deepdale on Wednesday evening...

Click here to read what he had to say ahead of the game

Alex Neil’s Preview
Preston North End manager Alex Neil knows that Wednesday’s clash with league leaders Norwich City will be one that tests his own side’s current impressive run of form…

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

Paul Gallagher Interview
North End’s captain in recent weeks, Paul Gallagher, is enjoying skippering the side at present and is also pleased that he was right in his assumptions that the form would change…

Click here to hear from the midfielder ahead of the clash with the Canaries

Match Reports

Preston North End 3 Norwich City 1

13 February 2019

Goals from Ben Davies, Paul Gallagher and Sean Maguire gave the Lilywhites a thrilling home win against league leaders Norwich City at Deepdale.

Davies headed home Gallagher’s free kick just 90 seconds in and Gallagher fired home from the spot after Darnell Fisher had been upended, before Declan Rudd saved Marco Stiepermann’s penalty all before half-time.

Maguire made it three, slamming home after a stunning Alan Browne effort had come off the bar with 20 minutes for go, the visitors grabbing an injury-time consolation through top scorer Teemu Pukki.

The opener only less than two minutes. Fisher was found on the right touchline about 40 yards from the goal and Gallagher whipped a brilliant ball into the box, that Davies rose highest to powerfully head down to the bottom left corner, giving Krul no chance between the sticks for the Canaries.

The visitors were a threat, however, and former Canary Rudd made a superb save with his legs in the ninth minute to deny Norwich star man Pukki, who had burst in behind Davies on Tom Trybull’s clever through ball.

On 19 minutes a second was inches away, as a stunning break from the Lilywhites saw Tom Barkhuizen race away from Jamal Lewis down the left, running 50 yards, before reversing the ball back to Brad Potts 25 yards out. The No.44 hit a vicious dipping, curling effort that beat Krul, but crashed back off the cross bar and was put behind for a corner.

And on 24 minutes another chance was given to double the advantage, this time from the penalty spot. The ball was well-worked down the right-hand side, with Barkhuizen lifting the ball into the box for Fisher, only for Onel Hernandez to haul him down; Geoff Eltringham, the match official, pointing straight to the spot.

Gallagher’s usual routine, with his back to goal, saw him turn and run at pace at the Bill Shankly Kop net, dispatching the ball into the same corner that Davies had found, despite Krul getting fingertips to it, making it 2-0.

But the visitors were awarded a penalty of their own on 32 minutes. Ben Pearson was harshly adjudged to have fouled Hernandez, clearly getting the ball, but Eltringham again pointed to the spot – although after a delay this time.

However, justice was to be done, as Rudd dived at full stretch to his right to make a brilliant save push the 12-yard effort from Stiepermann away and eventually the Lilywhites were able to clear the danger.

Christoph Zimmermann was lucky not to get a red card shortly after, as Potts seemed to have burst away and be running clean through; probably correctly – in the view of the referee – Jamal Lewis was covering round and thus it was only a yellow for the German centre half.

It was breathless stuff; both sides playing with a passion and an intensity that made it enthralling to watch, with everyone playing at the highest level.

Daniel Farke chose to make a change at the break, with former Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes on for Trybull, with a clear change of formation for City as well, looking to add even more fire power to their frontline.

But it was North End who again almost started the second period like the first, Gallagher once again with a free kick from the touchline – this time on the left – and Maguire getting a flick header at the front post that flashed just past the back post.

Pukki, who went to 20 goals for the season the previous weekend, forced Rudd into a fine low save shortly after, as he raced onto Rhodes’ threaded through ball and fired hard and low with his right foot, but the PNE No.1 was up to the task and turned the ball behind for a corner in the 48th minute.

Godfrey also tested Rudd with a powerful header at the back post from Emiliano Buendi’s deep corner, as the visitors piled on the pressure on the North End goal in a near 20-minute spell where they seemed do press the Lilywhites back into their penalty area.

But it was North End who got the third goal of the game and what a goal. A throw in from Fisher down the right was played in for Browne, who turned inside and unleashed a volley with his left foot that beat Krul from 35 yards, but crashed back off the bar, only for his Irish international team-mate Maguire to collect the ball 15-yards out and smash a left-footed effort past the former Newcastle keeper into the Alan Kelly Town End goal.

The ball was in the Norwich net again moments later as Nmecha, on for Barkhuizen, appeared to have scored. Potts did superbly out on the left, delivered deep and the on-loan City man headed home, however, at deeper inspection and spotted by the referee, the striker had handled the cross as he put it in the goal and was cautioned for doing so.

It perhaps should have been four after a mesmerising run down the left from Nmecha, who turned Jamal Lewis inside out with some fantastically quick foot work, before looking up and see Potts, and pulling the ball back from the byline to the No.44, but his shot from ten yards out ended up in the side-netting.

In the four minutes of injury-time Pukki poked home to grab a goal back for the visitors and Max Aarons was lucky not to have been sent off for an appalling throw of his arms at Rudd after the goal – perhaps the only decision the referee got wrong all night, but it was mere consolation as North End ran out 3-1 winners.

PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher, Hughes, Pearson, Storey, Davies, Potts, Gallagher (c) (Johnson, 62), Maguire (Stockley, 78), Browne, Barkhuizen (Nmecha, 67). Subs not used: Crowe, Earl, Clarke, Ledson.

Norwich City line-up: Krul, Godfrey, Zimmermann, Lewis, Buendia, Stiepermann (McLean, 73), Trybull (Rhodes, 46), Pukki, Hernandez (Passlack, 84), Tettey (c), Aarons. Subs not used: McGovern, Hanley, Srbeny, Cantwell.

Attendance: 11,280 (818 Norwich City fans)

Referee: Mr G Eltringham

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Norwich City

11 February 2019

It’s a 7.45pm kick-off for our second Wednesday home game of the 2018/19 season, as we take on Daniel Farke’s league leaders Norwich City in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale this midweek.

First Team News

Ref Watch: Norwich City

11 February 2019

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 6pm.

Tickets can be purchased at Deepdale from 9am until 5pm on Tuesday and 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: Norwich City

11 February 2019

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 available on the day, there are no increases for matchday purchases. Visiting Bees supporters can buy from the away ticket office next to the Bill Shankly Kop on Lowthorpe Road, with cash and card payments accepted, which will open from 6.30pm.

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: Norwich City

Ref Watch: Norwich City

Memorable Match: Norwich City

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