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Club News

PNE 1 Brentford 1

17 November 2012

Club News

PNE 1 Brentford 1

17 November 2012

Antonio German's 89th minute header denied North End all three points at Deepdale.

Scott Laird had given the Lilywhites a deserved lead with a half volley just after the hour mark, but German headed home Logan's cross to somehow snatch a point after North End dominated.

In the first half North End largely dominated possession and certainly dominated the chances, only to find the Bees keeper Simon Moore in good form and his defence putting their bodies on the line to keep North End out.

The first save from the visitors’ custodian came as Paul Huntington headed down a cross from Nicky Wroe, but Scott Laird saw his effort blocked on the six yard line by Tony Craig.

Moore looked in fine nick, and on 11 minutes he made a fine save to deny Nicky Wroe, after good build play by Laird and Lee Holmes down the right. The keeper dived low to his right to get strong hand to the ball and prevent it nestling in the bottom corner.

Before the quarter of an hour mark a Scott Laird free kick from right hand side, saw North End’s third good chance of the game, but Paul Huntington’s header down was just wide of left hand post.

The visitors were playing a 4-1-4-1 formation and looking to hit North End on the counter attack, however, it was the Lilywhites who made all the running and at the midway point in the half there was a very rare site.

A surprise error from Moore, given his form, saw the keeper pick up a back pass and North End had a free kick inside the area. It was a yard inside, but Holmes’ free kick was blocked, however, it came to Stuart Beavon and his header was well-saved by Moore, before Monakana drove through a crowd, but again the keeper saved.

Thirty minutes into the first half the North End wingers, who, like at Stevenage, had started on the reverse flanks, switched sides, with Holmes moving to the left and Monakana to the right.

North End were playing a high pressure game and it almost paid dividends with four minutes left in the half. It was brilliant from Jack King. A short back header from Harlee Dean saw King nip in and poked the ball past the keeper, but it was also inches wide of the right hand post from a narrow angle – really unlucky after clever pressure play.

On the stroke of half-time, a final good chance saw some very good passing from Graham Westley’s side, with the ball eventually into the feet of Jeffrey Monakana, but his left footed strike was over the bar from 12 yards out.

Just after the hour mark North End broke the deadlock. A corner from the left was sent over by Scott Laird. It was cleared but fizzed back over by Keith Keane. Chris Robertson headed down and Scott Lairde acrobatically volleyed it into the ground where it bounced over keeper Moore and the defenders on the line into the top left hand corner.

The home side were now playing at the top of their game. Nicky Wroe denied twice by Moore in 30 seconds with brilliant efforts from distance and a header flashed across goal from the resulting corner of the second effort by the PNE top scorer.

Anthony Elding was brought on for his debut in the last quarter of an hour and immediately after, Monakana stung the gloves of Moore with another drilled effort.

North End almost went two up on the break with a brilliant move. Monakana raced from his own half down the right and then put across a brilliant ball to David Buchanan on the left. His shot was punched out by Moore, but met on the half volley by Wroe who powered a side footer inches past the right hand post.

But in the 89th minute the visitors drew level as a ball in from Logan was headed home by Bees substitute Antonio German.

Five minutes of time was added on, but the game remained all-square.

: Simonsen, Keane, Laird, Wroe, Huntington, Robertson, Monakana, Welsh, Beavon (Elding, 75), King (Byrom, 86), Holmes (Buchanan, 63). Subs not used: Stuckmann, Cummins, Sodje, Wright.PNE Line-Up

: Moore, Forshaw (German, 79), Craig, Dean, Saunders (Hayes, 69), Douglas, Donaldson, Logan, Forrester (Barron, 59), Diagouraga, Bidwell. Subs not used: Lee, Dallas, Oyeleke, Kiernan.Brentford Line-Up

: 8,804 (387 away fans)Attendance

: Mr Nigel MillerReferee

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