Match Preview: West Brom (A)

28 December 2022

Preston North End will take on Carlos Corberan’s in-form West Bromwich Albion side this Thursday in the final game of 2022.

Match Information
Venue: The Hawthorns
Date: Thursday 29^th December, 8pm kick-off
Competition: Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 25/46)
Kit: Away kit – available in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Tickets are sold out in the away end for this fixture, with 2,000 PNE supporters set to make the journey to the West Midlands.

Supporters can collect pre-paid tickets from Deepdale until around 3.30pm on the day of the game, when any uncollected tickets will then be sent to The Hawthorns on the club coaches.

These tickets can then be picked up on their arrival – expected around 6.45pm – from the away ticket office next to the turnstiles, while duplicates can be picked up from 9am.

How To Follow The Game

Supporters worldwide will be able to watch this game live on iFollow PNE with a £10 match pass.

Live commentary will also be available as usual, with Guy Clarke and Andy Fensome on the mic. Match passes can be bought for £2.50 while monthly audio passes cost £4.49. Click here to subscribe!

We will also have our usual coverage of the game across our social media channels and right here on PNE.Com.

In The Dressing Room

Alan Browne, Ali McCann and Emil Riis all made a return from their respective injuries off the bench on Boxing Day and could push for a start in this fixture.

Andrew Hughes, who has been sidelined since the middle of November, is back in training and has a chance of featuring, however manager Ryan Lowe said he is wary of rushing players back.

Robbie Brady, Sean Maguire and Troy Parrott are all expected to miss out.

A Look At Our Hosts

After making a well below-par start to the Championship season, West Brom chose to replace Steve Bruce with former Huddersfield Town boss Carlos Corberan in October.

He’s overseen quite a turnaround already during his short stint in charge, having led them to six victories in eight games, pushing them out of the relegation places and into the Play-Off picture.

With the likes of Jed Wallace, John Swift and Daryl Dike – to name a few – at his disposal, Corberan will be hoping he can go one better than last season, when he lost out in the Play-Off final at Wembley with Huddersfield.

Going Head To Head

Games played: 117
PNE wins: 41
Draws: 27
West Brom wins: 49
Last meeting: PNE 1-0 West Brom, 5^th October 2022

One To Watch

There’s plenty of talent across this West Brom side, who are in fine form, but midfielder Tom Rogic seems to really be showing his class in recent weeks.

When the former Celtic man first arrived at The Hawthorns, it perhaps took him a bit of time to make his mark but – especially since the appointment of Corberan – he has proven what he can do.

The Australian scored a beauty to open his account for the club against Sunderland earlier in the month, and provided a wonderful assist on Boxing Day too for Brandon Thomas-Asante’s equally-impressive chip.

Match Officials

Andy Woolmer will take charge of PNE for the fourth time this season on Thursday evening.

Woolmer has refereed North End’s away games against Cardiff City, Sunderland and Huddersfield Town so far this campaign, with PNE keeping clean sheets in all three of those matches.

At this stage of the season, Woolmer has taken charge of 17 matches and has shown 69 yellow cards and three reds.

Match Reports

Match Report: West Brom 2 PNE 0

29 December 2022

An Okay Yokuslu strike either side of half-time saw Preston North End beaten 2-0 on the road by West Bromwich Albion.

The Turkish midfielder scored his first of the evening from long range, finding the bottom corner from 25 yards, before he doubled his tally in the 57^th minute.

Ryan Lowe opted to make three changes from Boxing Day, with Alan Browne, Emil Riis and Patrick Bauer all coming in, with the latter making his first start of the Championship campaign.

PNE started brightly and had three efforts in as many opening minutes, with Riis and Ryan Ledson trying their luck, before Álvaro Fernández saw a low strike kept out by Alex Palmer.

At the other end, Jed Wallace beat Bauer to make his way into the box and looked to find the far corner, with a slight defensive touch and a nick off the post sending it just wide.

Wallace was soon then denied by a flying Freddie Woodman save, before he produced an even better stop to frustrate Brandon Thomas-Asante on 31 minutes. He was sent through on goal and, as the ball looked sure to hit the back of the net, Woodman stuck out an arm to divert it over the crossbar.

After then coming up with a brilliant double stop to deny Wallace again, he could do nothing about Yokuslu’s 25-yard strike in the 35^th minute which found the bottom corner.

That sent PNE into the break with work to do and they came out seemingly energised in the opening stages of the second half, putting the home defence under plenty of pressure, albeit without creating any real chances of note.

However, West Brom made a change on 55 minutes, bringing John Swift on, and within seconds of being on the pitch he sent a dipping effort against the crossbar from 25 yards.

That was to be a warning sign, as Swift won the ball from Whiteman in a dangerous area before slipping in Yokuslu who finished for his second of the night.

The Baggies continued to create, with the likes of Daryl Dike and Wallace coming close to a third, while PNE’s best chance came in the 89^th minute as substitute Ali McCann struck the post from close range before Ben Woodburn lost his footing as he sent a follow-up effort wide.

That was to be the end of the chances for either side, as North End fell to a third successive defeat.

West Brom line-up: Palmer; Furlong, O’Shea, Pieters, Townsend; Molumby (Gardner-Hickman, 78), Yokuslu, Rogic (Swift, 55); Wallace (Grant, 78), Thomas-Asante (Dike, 63), Diangana (Reach, 63). Subs: Button, Ajayi.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey (Diaby, 65), Bauer, Lindsay; Potts, Whiteman, Ledson (McCann, 65), Browne (Woodburn, 77), Fernández; Riis (Cross-Adair, 65), Evans. Subs: Cornell, Cunningham, Johnson, Cornell.

Attendance: 25,321 (1,972 PNE fans).

Referee: Mr A Woolmer.

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