Match Preview: West Brom (H)

28 September 2023

Preston North End are back at Deepdale on Saturday looking for a fifth successive home victory.

Match Details

Date: Saturday 30^th September, 3pm kick-off
Venue: Deepdale
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Kit: Home kit – available in-store and online!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this fixture will be on sale right up until kick-off from the ticket office, while fans can also buy online from www.mypne.com.

Home supporters can take in the pre-match atmosphere in The Gentry Bar from 11am for drinks and entertainment. Full timings and offerings can be found in the Matchday Information article, which will be published prior to matchday.

The matchday shuttle bus service will be available for fans to use, with return tickets costing £6 and timings 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

Simon Nash, who recently retired from his role as Deepdale Duck, will be presented at half-time for fans to show their appreciation for his efforts during his time as the club’s famous mascot.

Pre-Match Chat

Hear from manager Ryan Lowe and midfielder Ben Whiteman ahead of the weekend's clash with West Brom.

Who’s Available?

Will Keane, who has missed the previous three fixtures, has come to the final stages of his rehabilitation, however he will need to be assessed ahead of the weekend.

Emil Riis – sidelined since January – is back in part-contact training, as is fellow long-term absentee Ched Evans, who is due for a scan in early October which could clear him to return to action.

Calvin Ramsay is also coming to the end of his rehabilitation with parent club Liverpool and could be back at Euxton within the next few weeks.

Opposition Focus

West Brom have made a mixed start to the campaign, having won and lost twice respectively in their opening eight matches.

Still without an away victory, Carlos Corberán’s side will be looking to kickstart their season at Deepdale, where they are winless since December 2019.

There’s certainly no lack of individual quality within the Baggies’ ranks, with the likes of Jed Wallace and John Swift having been top performers in the Championship in recent years – however both were only used as substitutes in their previous outing.

A Recent Clash

North End secured a first home victory of the season against West Brom last October courtesy of a seventh-minute Emil Riis goal.

Follow The Action

Supporters can listen to live commentary of the match from Jonathan Breeze and David Buchanan on iFollow PNE. Click here to buy a match or monthly pass.

Fans overseas can also watch live on iFollow, with £10 match passes available to buy here.

You can also follow all the action across our social media channels and here on the club website.

Match Officials

Josh Smith – who took charge of North End’s home victory over Swansea City last month – will referee this fixture.

So far this season, he’s officiated nine matches, showing 27 yellow cards and one red.

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 0 West Brom 4

30 September 2023

Preston North End’s unbeaten start to the Sky Bet Championship season came to an end as West Bromwich Albion left Deepdale with a 4-0 victory.

The Baggies went ahead inside five minutes through Darnell Furlong, and Alex Mowatt doubled the visitors’ lead just short of the half-hour mark.

Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley then scored in the second half to ensure North End suffered a first defeat of the league campaign.

In torrential conditions at Deepdale, the Midlands outfit could have scored even earlier than their fifth-minute opener as Cedric Kipré got on the end of John Swift’s corner, but he headed wide from inside the six-yard box.

West Brom would soon have the lead, though, as a clever flick from John Swift found Phillips who laid the ball off for Furlong, and the defender struck a sweet effort into Freddie Woodman’s bottom corner.

North End’s first effort of the day came 26 minutes in when Alan Browne moved the ball wide for Liam Millar who took it first-time on his right foot, only to see his strike go into the away end behind the goal.

Three minutes later, PNE found themselves two goals down as Jordan Storey failed to clear inside the area, and Mowatt was there to capitalise by finding the far corner.

There were chances for both sides in first-half stoppage-time, with Woodman denying Jed Wallace at one end, while Duane Holmes saw a strike kept out at the other.

Ryan Lowe brought Robbie Brady on at the break and changed shape, but it was the Baggies creating the early chances with Grady Diangana firing over the bar before then having a goal disallowed for offside in the 51^st minute.

Phillips was next to come close in the 57^th minute as he curled an effort just wide, but he got his goal shortly after an hour when his strike took a big deflection off Storey on its way past Woodman.

PNE had a flurry of efforts in the 71^st minute, with both Millar and substitute Ben Whiteman having strikes blocked, before Mads Frøkjær – also used off the bench – fired over from 12 yards.

North End looked like they might have their biggest opportunity of the day soon after as Will Keane, back from injury, raced away and pulled the ball back to Browne, but a recovering defender just got there first.

West Brom got their fourth with three minutes left on the clock as a Jed Wallace free-kick from the right was finished off by Bartley.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, McCann (Brady, 45), Ledson (Whiteman, 63), Millar; Holmes (Frøkjær, 63), Browne; Osmajić (Keane, 64). Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Stewart, Woodburn, Whatmough.

West Brom line-up: Palmer; Kipré, Bartley, Pieters (Townsend, 78); Furlong, Yokuşlu (Molumby, 66), Mowatt, Phillips (Taylor, 85); Diangana (Sarmiento, 66), Swift (Chalobah, 78); Wallace. Subs not used: Griffiths, Thomas-Asante, Fellows, Taylor.

Attendance: 16,658 (2,011 West Brom fans).

Referee: Mr J Smith.

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