Match Preview: Reading (H)

8 April 2023

Preston North End will go looking for a third successive victory when Reading come to Deepdale on Easter Monday.

Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Monday 10^th April, 3pm kick-off
Competition: EFL Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 41/46)
Kit: Home kit – 50% off in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale right up until kick-off in person from the ticket office, while fans can also buy over the phone on 0344 856 1966 and online from www.mypne.com.

North End supporters can watch the game from the Kop, with tickets available in this stand online, while season card holders can swap by visiting or calling the ticket office during opening hours.

The new fan zone, The Gentry Bar, will open its doors for the first time on Monday, with full details to be found here.

Fans can make use of the club’s matchday shuttle bus service as normal and full timings for the service can be found here.

How To Follow The Game

Supporters worldwide – including those in the UK and Ireland – will be able to watch this game live on iFollow PNE, with match passes on sale for just £10.

You can also listen to the match live if you’d prefer, with Jonathan Breeze and David Buchanan on the mic, and passes can be bought by clicking here.

There will also be plenty of coverage of the game across our social media channels and here on PNE.Com.

In The Dressing Room

Ryan Lowe confirmed Alan Browne was on crutches as a precaution after the game against Queens Park Rangers and that he would require a scan to determine the extent of the injury which the Irishman picked up in the first half.

Liam Lindsay should be good to go again after sustaining a head injury in the same game, but the defender battled on with a bandage to help his side keep a clean sheet.

Ali McCann, who is getting closer to a return, will be missing once again, as well as long-term absentees Ched Evans, Emil Riis and Greg Cunningham.

A Look At Our Visitors

After being hit with a six-point deduction last week, Reading will arrive at Deepdale in desperate need of points to lift them outside of the division’s bottom three.

Under Paul Ince, the Berkshire side found themselves at the other end of the table in the early stages of the season, having won seven of their opening 11 league games.

However, things have changed for the worse since then, and with just two wins since the turn of the year and none in their last seven games – as well as their point deduction – there is plenty of work still to do.

Going Head To Head

Games played: 66
PNE wins: 26
Draws: 13
Reading wins: 27
Last meeting: Reading 1-2 PNE, 4^th November 2022

One To Watch

North End will have to deal with the presence of 6ft 4in striker Andy Carroll on Monday afternoon.

The former England international – who scored once in a short-term loan with Preston North End back in the 2007/08 season – has netted eight goals so far this campaign, including two in his last three games.

With experience of being promoted out of the Championship, and winning the League Cup among other achievements, Reading will also be looking to call upon the knowhow of Carroll to help them survive in the second tier.

Match Officials

For the second season running, John Busby will referee a meeting between Preston North End and Reading at Deepdale.

While North End were on the wrong end of the scoreline that day, PNE have enjoyed themselves in the main with Busby in the middle, with the referee overseeing a victory over Swansea City, and a win and a draw against Coventry City this term.

In total, Busby has taken charge of 28 games this campaign, showing 108 yellow cards and four reds.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 2 Reading 1

10 April 2023

A Tom Cannon strike and a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Brad Potts earned Preston North End a 2-1 victory over Reading at Deepdale.

North End, who were the dominant side all afternoon, took a deserved lead in the 56th minute as Cannon fired home on the end of an Álvaro Fernández cross.

Against the run of play, the relegation-threatened visitors equalised thanks to Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s header, but Potts stepped up in the second minute of stoppage-time to earn three points and bring PNE level on points with the top six.

Ryan Lowe made two changes from the victory over Queens Park Rangers on Good Friday, with Robbie Brady and the injured Alan Browne being replaced by Fernández and Josh Onomah – the latter making his first PNE start.

It was North End asking all of the questions in the first half but without reward, with the first chance coming just five minutes in when Potts headed Andrew Hughes’ cross just wide after a clever dart towards the near post.

Potts then nearly had an assist to his name on 19 minutes when he poked the ball through to Cannon, who slammed a first-time effort an inch the wrong side of the post.

The in-form striker did the same just after the half-hour mark, this time being found by the influential Fernández, before cutting inside and hitting just off target.

It was all PNE but Reading did create a decent opening in the 33rd minute when Nesta Guinness-Walker used the height of Andy Carroll inside the area, but the striker could only head wide.

Normal service was resumed a minute later, though, as North End kept looking for their opener. Potts saw a powerful effort blocked behind for a corner and, from the resulting set piece, Andrew Hughes couldn’t believe Lucas João managed to get in front of his fierce right-footed strike from eight yards.

North End did find a breakthrough, though, on 56 minutes with a fantastic team move. Onomah – who was heavily involved all day – slotted the ball through for Fernández who in turn found Cannon in space inside the area, and he fired home for his seventh goal for the club.

There was a scare for PNE at the other end just three minutes later when the visitors found the back of the net, but Scott Dann’s effort was chalked off for offside.

Joe Lumley was soon called into action by a long-range Potts effort, before then producing a better stop to deny Cannon who showed a superb turn of pace and fired towards the near post, which the goalkeeper managed to tip wide.

Woodman himself had to come up with a similar save to keep out Jeff Hendrick, before he was beaten in the 83rd minute as a long throw was flicked into the back of the net by Ehibhatiomhan.

North End very nearly scored with just two minutes left on the clock as Potts fired a close-range effort at goal, which Lumley somehow kept out with a strong left hand.

Potts still had time to be the hero, though, as Hughes headed a deep free-kick back into the centre and there was the No.44 to head home and earn a late three points and cause bedlam in the home end.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, Onomah (Woodburn, 72), Johnson (C), Fernández; Cannon, Parrott (Brady, 89). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Ledson, Diaby, Slater.

Reading line-up: Lumley; Sarr, Holmes (Azeez, 71), Dann; Yiadom, Loum (Fornah, 71), Hendrick, Casadei, Guiness-Walker; João, Carroll (Ehibhatiomhan, 71). Subs not used: Boyce-Clarke, Mbengue, Abrefa, Craig.

Attendance: 15,092 (436 Reading fans).

Referee: Mr J Busby.

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