Match Preview: Blackburn Rovers (H)

20 April 2023

Preston North End will return to Deepdale early Saturday evening to take on Blackburn Rovers in an all-Lancashire clash.

Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Saturday 22^nd April, 5.30pm kick-off
Competition: EFL Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 44/46)
Kit: Home kit – 50% off in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Subject to availability, tickets for this fixture will be available until kick-off in person from the Deepdale ticket office, while fans can also buy over the phone on 0344 856 1966 and online from www.mypne.com.

The Gentry Bar will be open for just the second time this weekend, with doors opening from 2.30pm. There will be the usual selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available, as well as food trucks just outside of the fan zone. Full details will be included in the Matchday Information article, to be published ahead of Saturday.

PNE fans are being encouraged by those at PNE-Online to take part in a 'Deepdale Whiteout' on Saturday by wearing a North End home shirt or anything white!

Supporters can use the club’s matchday shuttle bus service to get to and from the ground on Saturday, with full timings below. Return tickets cost £5 and can be paid to the driver when boarding the bus.

Leyland Tesco (Stop A – Car Park) – 3.50pm
The Railway Pub, Leyland – 4pm
Ye Olde Hob Inn, Bamber Bridge – 4.05pm
Beam and Brycg Pub, Bamber Bridge – 4.10pm
Arrive at Deepdale, Lowthorpe Road – 4.30pm

How To Follow The Game

As this game has been selected for Sky Sports coverage, the match is unable to be shown live on iFollow PNE in the majority of regions around the world. Supporters are advised to check their local TV listings to see if they can watch the game in their area.

Live audio commentary will be available as usual, though, with match passes available for £2.50, while monthly passes can be bought for £4.49. Click here to subscribe now.

You can also follow live coverage of the game across our social media channels and here on PNE.Com.

In The Dressing Room

Bambo Diaby will be unavailable for this game and the following three matches due to a retrospective suspension from the FA.

Ali McCann made his return from injury during the week against Swansea City, playing 45 minutes as a substitute, but manager Ryan Lowe said in his pre-match press conference that they will need to manage his minutes.

There are no fresh injury concerns heading into the weekend, with Alan Browne, Ched Evans, Emil Riis and Greg Cunningham all still sidelined.

A Look At Our Visitors

Heading into the weekend’s round of fixtures, Blackburn Rovers are occupying the final Play-Off position, but come Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off the table may look differently.

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side have been in the top six pretty much all season long, but one win in their last seven games has seen other clubs close the gap on the Play-Off spots.

Rovers have some tough games coming up between now and the end of the season too, with their final three matches after Saturday being against sides in the top five of the division – including fierce rivals and league leaders Burnley.

Going Head To Head

Games played: 110
PNE wins: 46
Draws: 30
Blackburn Rovers wins: 34
Last meeting: Blackburn Rovers 1-4 PNE, 10^th December 2022

One To Watch

Academy graduate Hayden Carter is enjoying his best year with Rovers yet, having featured over 30 times in all competitions this term.

The central defender spent last season on loan with League One side Portsmouth and he returned to Ewood Park a better player for it.

Having become a regular in the heart of defence, Carter was rewarded with a long-term deal at the end of March 2023, keeping him with Rovers until June 2027.

Match Officials

Premier League official Rob Jones will be the man in the middle this weekend.

It will be the first time Jones has taken charge of North End since February 2022 – a goalless draw at Deepdale against Huddersfield Town.

Jones has officiated 25 games so far this campaign, showing 97 yellow cards in that period, and he will this weekend be assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis and Wade Smith, while Jeremy Simpson will be on fourth official duties.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 1 Blackburn Rovers 1

22 April 2023

Preston North End earned a point in stoppage-time against Blackburn Rovers as Liam Delap’s cross was deflected into the back of the net in the 94th minute.

It looked as though PNE were going to suffer defeat after Sammie Szmodics’ 80^th-minute strike, but a Delap cross into the area was inadvertently sent beyond goalkeeper Aynsley Pears by Rovers defender Dominic Hyam.

There were three changes made from the midweek defeat to Swansea City, with Josh Onomah, Troy Parrott and Patrick Bauer all coming in – the latter for his first start since December.

It was North End who had the first opportunity of the day courtesy of the in-form Cannon, who fired a shot just wide of goal after being found by Onomah.

Former PNE youngster Tyrhys Dolan then looked to have found space for a shot at goal at the other end a few moments later, but Jordan Storey came up with a good challenge to ensure he got no further.

On 24 minutes, Woodman was called into action for the first time as Joe Rankin-Costello took aim from range, with the goalkeeper producing a smart stop down to his left.

A couple of minutes later Brad Potts could have opened the scoring from a similar position to his goal which broke the deadlock in the last Lancashire derby against Blackpool, but this time he blazed over the bar.

Whiteman managed to hit the target soon after, however it was easy enough for Aynsley Pears to collect, and the midfielder also had the last effort of the half from a 20-yard free-kick which was saved.

Rovers made a double change at the break, with Ryan Hedges one of those to come on, and he looked to find Szmodics in the box, who would have had a tap-in were it not for a fantastic recovery challenge from Whiteman.

Szmodics had the ball in the back of the net on the hour mark, but the goal was correctly ruled out as Rovers’ No.8 had used his arm to send it off the underside of the bar and beyond Woodman.

Whiteman tried his luck in the 71^st minute from all of 25 yards, sending a low strike to the left of Pears, who parried away from goal.

Rovers then took the lead with ten minutes of normal time left, as Lewis Travis slotted the ball through for Szmodics who cut inside and cutely found the far corner.

PNE came so close to finding an equaliser in the 93^rd minute courtesy of substitute Ali McCann, who saw a poked effort towards goal somehow kept out by Pears.

There was then a huge 30 seconds as Hedges broke through on goal and had a golden opportunity to make it two, but his attempted chip was tame and collected by Woodman. North End's goalkeeper launched the ball forward for Potts to flick on to Delap, and the Manchester City loanee fired a vicious cross into the area and the ball struck the left leg of Hyam, sending it into the top corner to earn a late, late point for North End to keep them within touching distance of the top six.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Bauer (Woodburn, 76), Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, Onomah (Delap, 83), Johnson (McCann, 70), Fernández; Cannon, Parrott. Subs not used: Cornell, Lindsay, Ledson, Slater.

Blackburn Rovers line-up: Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, Morton (Brittain, 89), A. Wharton; Thomas (Hedges, 45), Szmodics (S. Wharton, 89), Dolan (Brereton-Diaz, 45). Subs not used: Kaminski, Dack, Garrett.

Attendance: 20,721 (4,932 Blackburn Rovers fans).

Referee: Mr R Jones.

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