Match Preview: Stoke City (H)

7 March 2024

Following the postponement of the midweek trip to Southampton, North End are back at Deepdale on Saturday to take on Stoke City.

Match Details

Date: Saturday 9^th March, 3pm kick-off
Venue: Deepdale
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Kit: Home kit

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale up until kick-off online, over the phone on 0344 856 1966, and in person from the ticket office.

North End fans can go to The Gentry Bar from 11am for drinks and live entertainment ahead of kick-off, and it will then reopen after the full-time whistle.

Supporters can use the matchday shuttle bus to get to and from the stadium, with the service running from Leyland through Bamber Bridge on its way to Deepdale. Return tickets cost £6 on-board and timings are as follows:

Leyland Tesco (Stop A – Car Park) – 1.20pm
The Railway Pub, Leyland – 1.30pm
Ye Olde Hob Inn, Bamber Bridge – 1.35pm
Beam and Brycg Pub, Bamber Bridge – 1.40pm
Arrive at Deepdale, Lowthorpe Road – 2pm

This fixture will be dedicated to the Her Game Too campaign, which tackles sexist abuse in sport, and almost 100 females have been invited to partake in various activities throughout the day, including a pre-match guard of honour and half-time penalty shootout.

Who’s Available?

Brad Potts is back in training after missing the last four matches through injury, although Saturday may come slightly too soon for his return.

Ched Evans is still unavailable and expecting to be back in a couple of weeks, but other than the forward it’s a fully-fit squad.

Andrew Hughes became a first-time dad during the week and would have missed the Southampton match, however he’s been back in training on Thursday and Friday and will be in contention this weekend.

Opposition Focus

Stoke City arrive at Deepdale on Saturday in need of points, sitting 22^nd in the table and right in the middle of a relegation fight involving a number of teams.

The Potters have won only twice since the turn of the year, although victory over Middlesbrough last weekend and their performance against promotion-pushing Leeds United during the week have offered signs of encouragement.

Former North End midfielder Ben Pearson will miss a return to Deepdale this weekend due to two yellow cards at Elland Road, while PNE legend Paul Gallagher will be in the dugout and former Player of the Year winner Daniel Iversen in between the sticks.

A Recent Clash

A Will Keane double in front of a sold-out away end in Stoke took North End to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table in September.

Follow The Action

Supporters worldwide can listen to the match live on iFollow PNE, with commentary coming from Jonathan Breeze and Andy Fensome. Match passes are available for £2.50 and monthly passes for £4.49.

Fans overseas can also watch live, with match passes priced at £10.

Extensive coverage of the match can be followed across the club’s social media channels and here on the website.

Match Officials

Referee: Josh Smith
Assistant Referees: Matthew Jones and Adam Crysell
Fourth Official: Jeremy Simpson

North End will be refereed by Josh Smith for the fifth time this season on Saturday.

His last PNE match was the Boxing Day victory over Leeds United, and in total this season he’s taken charge of 28 matches, showing 110 yellow cards and six reds.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 1 Stoke City 2

9 March 2024

Preston North End were beaten at Deepdale for the first time in 2024 as an 87th-minute goal saw Stoke City win 2-1.

After Andrew Hughes had inadvertently found the back of his own net in the 64^th minute, substitute Milutin Osmajić scored his fifth goal of the season four minutes later to draw level.

The visitors won the game, though, with three minutes left on the clock as a fortunate deflection off Luke McNally went in off the post.

Stoke had the first sniff of the afternoon when Ki-Jana Hoever appeared to be through on goal after a quick counter attack, but a heavy touch allowed Jordan Storey the time to come across to clear.

North End had a penalty shout in the 19^th minute as a clever outside-of-the-boot pass by Alan Browne sent Emil Riis on his way, and he went down under a challenge from Ben Wilmot, but referee Josh Smith waved away the appeals.

The first shot on target of the day didn’t arrive until the 38^th minute as the ball ran through for Bae Junho to run on to, and he saw a low effort from 20 yards comfortably kept out by Freddie Woodman.

PNE’s No.1 made another save a few minutes later to deny Tyrese Campbell, who opted to shoot rather than pull it across for Junho on the opposite side.

Nine minutes into the second half, the Lilywhites were again appealing for a spot-kick to no avail, as Smith saw nothing wrong with Lynden Gooch’s push on Browne’s back.

Gooch then had a big chance a couple of minutes later, only for Woodman to parry wide, and from the following corner Michael Rose headed over from just a few yards out.

The heavily-involved Gooch was the key to Stoke City’s opener in the 64^th minute as he sent a vicious low ball right across the face, and Hughes put into the back of his own net at the back post.

That lead lasted only four minutes, though, as substitute Osmajić got on the end of an inch-perfect Frøkjær cross and headed beyond Daniel Iversen at his front post.

Iversen was required to make a crucial save in the 82^nd minute to prevent PNE turning the game on its head, as Ben Whiteman went through on the counter and saw his low strike saved by his former team-mate.

The visitors then scored with three minutes left of the 90 as an Ali McCann clearance inside the area bounced fortunately off McNally, and his touch took it in off the post to win the game.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne, Whiteman (Ledson, 84), McCann, Millar (Brady, 77); Frøkjær, Keane (Osmajić, 59), Riis. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Stewart, Woodburn, Holmes, Whatmough.

Stoke City line-up: Iversen; Rose, McNally, Wilmot; Hoever, Baker, Burger (Manhoef, 75), Gooch; Laurent, Junho (Léris, 89); Campbell (Ennis, 84). Subs not used: Bonham, Vidigal, Thompson, Hakšabanović, Cundle.

Attendance: 17,253 (3,114 Stoke City fans).

Referee: Mr J Smith.

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