Match Preview: Coventry City (H)

27 February 2023

Preston North End will look to make it back-to-back wins at Deepdale on Tuesday night when they face an in-form Coventry City side.

Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Tuesday 28^th February, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 34/46)
Kit: Home kit – 30% off in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will be available to buy right up until kick-off from the ticket office – both in person and over the phone on 0344 856 1966 – and online from www.mypne.com.

The fan zone will once again be open to PNE fans before and after the game, with live music and a selection of food and drink available. Full details will be confirmed in our Matchday Information article which will be published soon.

Supporters can use the matchday shuttle bus service to get to and from the ground on Saturday, with the bus starting at Leyland and going through Bamber Bridge on its way to Deepdale. Find full details regarding the service here.

How To Follow The Game

Supporters who can’t make it to the game on Tuesday night will be able to watch live from home, with match passes available to buy for £10.

Live commentary is also available, with match and monthly audio passes on sale, and on the mic will be Guy Clarke and Andy Fensome.

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

In The Dressing Room

Ched Evans will be back in contention for PNE, having served the four-game suspension he was given retrospectively for an incident in the home game against Bristol City.

Meanwhile, Ben Whiteman will serve the final game of his ban and Robbie Brady will also miss out following his late red card in the victory over Wigan Athletic.

Andrew Hughes remains a doubt due to the injury which he picked up away at Hull City.

A Look At Our Visitors

Coventry City – in their third season back in the Championship – will arrive at Deepdale sat one place above PNE in the table, with a three-point advantage.

Mark Robins’ side are no doubt full of confidence having won each of their last three Championship fixtures, coming out on top against Millwall, Rotherham United and Sunderland.

In their victory over the latter, they lost an important player in Kasey Palmer to injury, but the Sky Blues will be hoping they can maintain their place in the top half of the division, and potentially make a late push for the top six.

Going Head To Head

Games played: 45
PNE wins: 20
Draws: 15
Coventry City wins: 10
Last meeting: Coventry City 0-1 PNE, 31st August 2022

One To Watch

After initially joining on loan in January 2021, Viktor Gyökeres has been a revelation at Coventry City since his permanent move in July later that year.

The Sweden international netted a hugely impressive 17 Championship goals last season and he’s well on his way to bettering that tally this term, with 15 already to his name.

The 24-year-old has scored in each of the last three fixtures, and his goal and assist in their last game, against Sunderland, marked his 100^th appearance for the club.

Match Officials

John Busby will take charge of Tuesday night’s game, having also refereed the reverse fixture between the two sides earlier in the season.

Busby showed two yellow cards as he oversaw PNE’s 1-0 win over the Sky Blues in August, while his other North End game this campaign was the 1-0 home victory over Swansea City at the beginning of November.

In total this season, he has taken charge of 23 matches, showing 82 yellow cards and three reds.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 0 Coventry City 0

28 February 2023

Preston North End were held to a goalless draw against Coventry City at Deepdale, with neither side allowing many clinical chances despite plenty of attacking effort.

The half-time whistle was blown following a long-range attempt and volley from the visitors early on, with PNE also coming close with Ched Evans hitting a thunderous strike into the side netting.

In a closely-contested match, between two sides in similar league positions, the second half was similar to the first. Both man of the match Daniel Johnson and Liam Delap came narrowly close to an opener, while North End defended well at the other end to maintain their clean sheet.

There were two changes to the North End side since the weekend’s win against Wigan Athletic, as Jordan Storey replaced the injured Greg Cunningham and Evans returned from suspension.

It was an eventful and lively start to the game as the visitors had a couple of chances at PNE’s goal – including a 20-yard effort from Callum Doyle and a volley over the crossbar from Jamie Allen.

However, PNE responded with attacking intent and, in the 19th minute, Johnson took control of the ball after a corner from Alan Browne, before floating it over to Evans, who unleashed a powerful shot from close-range into the side netting.

Allen again tried to give his side the breakthrough, as he ran down the right flank to latch onto a through ball from Gustavo Hamer, but his time and space was met by a shot only into Freddie Woodman’s grasp.

Determined to enter the break with some more chances at goal, Álvaro Fernández nutmegged and danced his way through the Coventry midfield, however the visitors remained resilient and denied any opportunities to trouble Ben Wilson in net.

The second half started in much of the same way as the first – both sides battling end-to-end but with PNE having the better of the chances this time around. In the space of a couple minutes after the 50-minute mark, Brad Potts fired a volley over the bar and Browne flicked a header from inside the box at the ‘keeper.

Not stopping there, Potts then fought for control of the ball in Coventry’s midfield, rolled it to Johnson, who then curled a well-placed shot from outside the box to force Wilson into a diving, parried save in the 58th minute.

The biggest opportunity of the game then fell to substitute Liam Delap on the six-yard box as the ball ricocheted kindly in his direction, but the Manchester City loanee couldn’t quite direct his effort on target.

At the other end, Coventry squandered a big chance themselves with Jake Bidwell firing over from inside the area, meaning both sides took a point from an entertaining goalless draw.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Diaby, Lindsay, Storey; Potts, Ledson, Browne (Woodburn, 84), Johnson (Onomah, 90+2), Fernández; Evans (Delap, 74), Cannon (Parrott, 74). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Slater.

Coventry City line-up: Wilson; McFadzean, Doyle (Rose, 63), McNally; Norton-Cuffy (Burroughs, 63), Hamer, Eccles, Bidwell; Allen (Wilson-Esbrand, 46), Godden (Walker, 63); Gyökeres. Subs not used: Moore, Dabo, Maguire.

Attendance: 13,891 (846 Coventry City fans)

Referee: Mr J Busby.

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