Preston North End Match v Swansea City Preview

30 January 2020

North End return to action at Deepdale after a mini-break, looking to maintain the recent run of form the team has been on, picking up seven points from the last nine available.

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Swansea City Home

30 January 2020

Wins over Charlton Athletic and at Barnsley took the Lilywhites back into the top six until Tuesday night’s latest round of fixtures and they will look to return there if they can defeat fellow Play-Off chasers Swansea City in PR1.

The Welsh side have impressed this season and came out on top in a five-goal thriller at the Liberty Stadium in just the third weekend of the season back in August, despite goals from Joe Rafferty and Daniel Johnson from the penalty spot.

PNE boss Alex Neil could go into the game with additional options from the last two wins, with Cardiff-born Andrew Hughes potentially available for face his hometown club’s bitter rivals, after completing 60 minutes in the Lancashire Senior Cup semi-final on Tuesday.

The game is the first of seven matches in February and by March there will only ten games left in the season, so it is an important period over the next four weeks, with the support from the terraces vital over the coming fixtures.

For Your Information
Match Details: PNE v Swansea City, Deepdale, Saturday 1st February 2020, kick-off 3pm
Competition: EFL Championship (30/46)
PNE colours: Home kit, goalkeeper in green
Click here to buy a ticket

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

Ticket Information: As we enter the second month of 2020, we welcome Steve Cooper’s Swansea City to Deepdale at the weekend for the first of seven games in February. Click here for more information.

Match Officials: The match official for Saturday’s game at Deepdale is making his second trip to PR1 this season and this is his third Lilywhites match of the campaign. Click here for details of all the officials.

We’ve Met Before: Preston North End host the Swans for the 30th time in league action when Steve Cooper brings the Welsh side to Deepdale this weekend. Click here for more details of past battles.

How To Follow The Game: If you can’t make it to Deepdale for this weekend’s clash with Swansea City, don’t worry, we will have full coverage on PNE.Com and iFollow PNE. Click here for details of how you can follow the match.

The One And Only Issue 19: Scott Sinclair’s list of honours is impressive and the winger is determined to add more to his collection at North End - although he will have to find a room in his new house to put all his medals in. Click here for details of the former Swansea City man’s interview in the weekend’s programme.

Team News: Preston North End manager Alex Neil should have more options for the visit of Swansea City to Deepdale this weekend. Click here for details of the options.

Alex Neil Set For Big Month: Preston North End manager Alex Neil has enjoyed having ten days to prepare for what is a huge month in the EFL Championship. Click here for the manager’s full interview.

Joe Rafferty Ready To Take On His Past: Preston North End full back Joe Rafferty knows this weekend’s opposition coaching team better than most. Click here for more from Joe.

Match Reports

Preston North End 1 Swansea City 1

1 February 2020

Scott Sinclair got off the mark at Deepdale with a stunning strike, but he and the Lilywhites had to settle for a draw after Rhian Brewster’s close-range equaliser.

The former Celtic man curled a left-footed screamer into the left corner of Freddie Woodman’s goal just before the half hour mark, only for the Swans’ Liverpool loanee to controversially poke home from a yard out after Andre Ayew seemed offside before crossing.

It was an unchanged North End that went into the game against Steve Cooper’s side, with one place and one point the difference in the table and it was a tight and scrappy first half between two sides fighting for a place in the top six.

But it was a moment of brilliance from PNE’s No.31 that brought the game to life as he collected Darnell Fisher’s throw in on the right touchline, before driving inside past three defenders before curling the ball around Joe Rodon and past Woodman into the inside of the left-side side netting from the edge of the ‘D’, to break the deadlock again the side he won promotion from the Championship with, via the Play-Offs.

However, the Welsh side were level on 34 minutes in highly controversial circumstances. Ayew got lucky with a ricocheting ball that fell to Conor Gallagher; the Chelsea man then threaded the forward back in, but with Patrick Bauer stepping out, it looking like Ayew was offside as he clipped from the ball from the right edge of the six yard box, deflecting off Declan Rudd into the path of Brewster, who converted with his right shin.

There was little else to discuss in the first half, but it was a different story after the break, with the home side dominating the game, the possession and the chances.

The visitors were also very lucky not finish the game with nine men; Brewster only booked for a horror two-footed challenge off the floor on Ben Pearson and Jake Bidwell somehow avoiding a clear second yellow card for bringing down Darnell Fisher as he looked set to drive into the penalty area from the right.

From one free kick North End did win, when Tom Barkhuizen finally won a foul – having been man-handled throughout the first half – Josh Harrop curled the ball from 25 yards, towards the top right corner of the Alan Kelly Town End goal, but the Swnas wall managed to just get up high enough to clip off them and go behind for a corner.

With 13 minutes left, from the resulting free kick after Bidwell’s demolition job on Fisher, Daniel Johnson cleverely pulled the ball back for Browne, only for Kyle Naughton to deny the Irishman a goal.

The final few minutes saw City clinging on, with Bauer forcing Woodman to tip over after meeting Browne’s right-wing cross and then from the resulting corner substitute Maguire couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet and eventually Bidwell blocked his close-range shot.

But the best chance came in the final of three minutes added on when Declan Rudd fired a long free kick right down the middle and Maguire got up highest to flick on for fellow Irishman Browne, who met the ball sweetly on the volley, but couldn’t quite keep it down, the ball flying just over the bar and leaving the game to finish all-square.

PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher, Rafferty, Pearson, Bauer, Davies, Sinclair, Johnson, Barkhuizen (Maguire, 85), Browne, Harrop (Nugent, 65). Subs not used: Ripley, Hughes, Ledson, Stockley, Potts.

Swansea City line-up: Woodman, Guehi, Rodon, Grimes (c), Celina, Brewster (Cullen, 88), Ayew, Bidwell, Naughton, Byers (Fulton, 80), C Gallagher. Subs not used: Mulder, Routledge, Wilmot, Dhanda, Cabango.

Attendance: 12,502 (665 Swansea City fans)

Referee: Mr G Eltringham

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Swansea City Home

30 January 2020

As we enter the second month of 2020, we welcome Steve Cooper’s Swansea City to Deepdale at the weekend for the first of seven games in February.

First Team News

Match Officials: Swansea City Home

30 January 2020

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 out 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: Swansea City Home

30 January 2020

Paper and print at home tickets 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 Swans fans, tickets are available on the day, 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, pick up points and times 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.

Standings

Ticket Information: Swansea City Home

Match Officials: Swansea City Home

We’ve Met Before: Swansea City Home

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