Preston North End Match v Wigan Athletic Preview

8 August 2019

The first home game of the season sees a local derby at Deepdale as the Lilywhites take on Paul Cook’s Wigan Athletic.

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Wigan Athletic Home

8 August 2019

Preston North End look to get their first points on the board against the Latics, who started their season with a 3-2 win against Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City at the DW Stadium.

For Alex Neil and his team, they will be looking to record three points after the opening day disappointment at Millwall and will want to put on a performance in front of the North End faithful, many of whom will not have been to PR1 since the Sheffield Wednesday game back in April.

Summer signings Patrick Bauer, Tom Bayliss and Andre Green will all be looking to try and get their competitive home debuts, but David Nugent will miss out – more of that in our team news piece below.

It is the 49th league game since our first clash with the Latics in the early 1980s, a game in which Alex Bruce scored a brace, and the former PNE favourite is one of the former players in attendance at the weekend and will be interviewed on the pitch at half-time.

For Your Information
Match Details: PNE v Wigan Athletic, Deepdale, Saturday 10th August 2019, kick-off 3pm
Competition: EFL Championship (2/46)
PNE colours: Home kit

Click Here To buy tickets - www.mypne.com

Here’s all the coverage accessible on PNE.Com in preview of the game…

Ticket Information: Our 2019/20 home campaign gets underway on Saturday, as we take on Paul Cook’s Wigan Athletic in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale. Click here for more information.

Match Officials: This weekend’s opening home game will be officiated by Jeremy Simpson, taking charge of his seventh game at Deepdale. Click here for details of who it is.

We’ve Met Before: Saturday will be the 49th league meeting between Preston North End and Wigan Athletic, with the Lilywhites holding the upper hand, with 14 wins to 12. Click here for more details of past battles.

How To Follow The Game: If you can’t make the trip to Deepdale for the opening home game of the season, don’t worry, we will have full coverage on PNE.Com and iFollow PNE this weekend. Click here for details of how you can follow the match.

The One And Only Returns: It’s a new home season and that means a brand new matchday programme, with a completely new look and feel for the 2019/20 campaign. Click here for details.

Team News: Preston North End manager Alex Neil says that places are up for grabs as he selects his side for their opening home game of the 2019/20. Click here for details of the options.

Alex Neil Excited By Latics Clash: Preston North End manager Alex Neil is looking forward to the opening game at Deepdale of the 2019/20 campaign. Click here for the manager’s full interview.

Ben Pearson Wants Points On The Board: Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson is looking to Saturday’s visit of Wigan Athletic and targeting getting the team’s first points of the season. Click here for more from Ben.

Andrew Hughes Looking Forward To Home Opener: Preston North End left back Andrew Hughes is hoping that the squad can quickly hit their straps in 2019/20. Click here for what he had to say.

Match Reports

Preston North End 3 Wigan Athletic 0

10 August 2019

Preston North End recorded their first win of the season with a thumping home win over local rivals Wigan Athletic at Deepdale.

First Team News

Manager Hails Importance Of Victory

10 August 2019

Goals from forwards Sean Maguire and Louis Moult gave the Lilywhites a half-time lead, before a stunning Paul Gallagher free kick put the game beyond doubt before the hour mark.

Manager Alex Neil had made four changes from the side that faced Millwall on the opening day of the season, with Moult going straight into the starting line-up, Maguire moving out to the left and Daniel Johnson playing the No.10 role behind the forwards.

And from the off the home side were on the front foot and early pressure brought the opening goals. There were four corners in the space of two minutes. The first saw Moult head Gallagher’s right wing ball into the six yard box, only for Cedric Kipre to deflect Maguire’s header over the bar.

From the third Gallagher delivery the ball was worked short and out to Ben Pearson who unleashed a vicious 25 yard strike that looked destined for the top corner, only for former PNE favourite Joe Garner to take the ball flush in the face – he would less than 20 minutes later leave the field through concussion suffered in the incident.

From the resulting corner from this shot the opening goal came. This time Gallagher delivered from the left and Louis Moult’s run left space for Maguire to angle a glancing header past David Marshall into the right side of the goal, beating Lewis MacLeod in the air.

Moult met another Gallagher cross and went close with a looping header, that forced Scottish stopper Marshall to scramble back to take high above his head, but at the other end Decland Rudd was also in fine form.

Just before the quarter hour mark the North End No.1 was needed to make a stop at full-stretch to deny Josh Windass from 20 yards, after a ball across the box found its way to the dangerous Latics No.10.

And moments later the PNE custodian was again forced to dive away to his left, this time seeing the ball late, as a curling right-foot effort from MacLeod from 25 yards out was heading towards the bottom corner until a strong left hand forced the ball behind for the corner.

But these proved rare opportunities for the visitors, with North End the dominant force in the game. Just after the half’s mid-point some great play by Billy Bodin and Johnson down the left saw a quick one-two, with Johnson’s quick feet seeing him in on goal, only for Marshall to claim superbly at the No.11’s feet.

But the former Villa man was at the heart of a lot of good things for PNE and he created the second goal. Having picked up the ball down the left, he created space before – with many calling for the ball to be played back to Gallagher – he saw the run of Moult into space and a cross from the left found the striker perfectly, his cushioned header beating Marshall into the bottom left hand corner in front of the deflated away fans.

First Team News

Moult Delighted To Get Off The Mark

10 August 2019

The key going into the second half was for Alex Neil’s men to keep things tight and, not only did they do that, but they extended their lead in the 54th minute, with the goal of the game.

Sean Maguire was brought down by right back Nathan Byrne right on the left corner of the penalty area. Johnson laid the ball off slightly for Gallagher, who viciously curled a beautiful shot into the top right-hand corner of the goal, giving Marshall no chance and ending the game as a contest.

The home side tried to repeat the previous season’s scoreline against Wigan, by doing everything they could to add a fourth. The closest being in the final minute of normal time, when Jayden Stockley, on for Moult, flicked a ball from Patrick Bauer on for Bodin to beat Marshall too, rounding the keeper, but he was unable to find the target from a tight angle with his right foot.

However, three goals was more than good enough to record a positive opening home performance and result, giving them a richly deserved three points.

PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher (Clarke, 74), Hughes, Pearson, Bauer, Davies, Bodin, Gallagher (Browne, 68), Moult (Stockley, 78), Johnson, Maguire. Subs not used: Ripley, Green, Barkhuizen, Potts.

Wigan Athletic line-up: Marshall, Byrne, Robinson, MacLeod, Fox (c) (Lowe, 63), Evans, Windass, Garner (Moore, 26), Jacobs (Williams, 72), Kipre, Naismith. Subs not used: Jones, Massey, , Dunkley, Gelhardt.

Attendance: 14,789 (2,945 Wigan Athletic fans)

Referee: Mr J Simpson

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Wigan Athletic Home

8 August 2019

Our 2019/20 home campaign gets underway on Saturday, as we take on Paul Cook’s Wigan Athletic in the SkyBet Championship at Deepdale.

First Team News

Match Officials: Wigan Athletic Home

8 August 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.

This season we are also offering print at home tickets, so you can buy online and print our your ticket without needing to collect on the day, click here for more information.

For those still 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

We’ve Met Before: Wigan Athletic Home

8 August 2019

Paper and e-Tickets (print at home) can be purchased online at MyPNE.Com 24/7 right up until two 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!

For Latics fans, sales will be available on the day, with just over 2,000 tickets currently sold. There will be no increases for matchday purchases and tickets are available for visiting supporters from the away ticket office next to the Bill Shankly Kop on Lowthorpe Road, with cash and card payments accepted, which will open from 1.30pm.

For home fans travelling to the game the Leyland shuttle bus will be in operation for the game, pick up points and times for 2019/20 are as follows: 1.20pm, Leyland Tesco; 1.30pm, Railway Pub Leyland; 1.40pm, Beam and Brycg Pub Bamber Bridge; arrive Deepdale, 2.10pm. Tickets are £3 for a single or £4 return.

Season cards remain on sale until kick-off, however, those purchasing in the last hour before kick-off are likely to receive a paper ticket for this game, with the season card processed after, to allow quicker entry to the stadium.

Standings

Ticket Information: Wigan Athletic Home

Manager Hails Importance Of Victory

Moult Delighted To Get Off The Mark

Match Officials: Wigan Athletic Home

We’ve Met Before: Wigan Athletic Home

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