PNE 2 Huddersfield Town 1
North End came from a goal down with seven minutes left to beat Huddersfield Town at Deepdale.
Nahki Wells had given David Wagner’s side the lead with nine minutes left, but an own goal from Joel Lynch, who deflected Paul Gallagher’s sot past his own keeper, and an injury time header from Alan Browne gave Simon Grayson’s side the points.
North End went into the game with a 4-4-2 formation, with Callum Robinson, Alan Browne and Jordan Hugill coming into the starting 11 in place of Paul Huntington, Daniel Johnson and the suspended Ben Pearson.
In the opening stages the visitors had plenty of possession and Joe Lolley was sent through and home debutant Anders Lindegaard did well to come out and block the midfielder’s shot for a corner.
On the half hour mark Joel Lynch, the Huddersfield skipper, produced a 35 yard shot that came off the top of the cross bar and over.
From this came North End’s best chance of the first half when a long ball to Joe Garner was headed sideways for Strike partner Hugill; he collected it well but saw his shot saved by Jed Steer and Adam Reach on the follow up blasted across the face of the goal.
The visitors had an early chance in the second half as Nahki Wells broke through, however, Lindegaard was up to the task again, saving excellently with his legs from the Bermudan.
Tommy Smith missed another good chance in the right corner of the box from Nahki Wells’ sidewys ball, but the effort was dragged across goal.
Just before the hour mark a double change saw Welsh and Johnson on for Hugill and Robinson.
With 20 minutes to go Johnson tested Steer with a whipped right foot effort after good build up play by Alan Browne, but the on loan Villa man did well to hold the powerful effort.
With ten minutes to go the visitors had the lead when Nahki Wells nipped into the middle of the penalty area and poked the ball from 15 yards out under Lindegaard and into the net.
Alan Browne and Daniel Johnson both had shots blocked as North End almost responded immediately with chances 12 yards out.
And the lead lasted only two minutes as from the second of a brace of corners the ball was deflected out to Paul Gallagher who shot and saw his effort take a deflection off Joel Lynch past Steer into the bottom left hand corner.
Five minutes of stoppage time was added and in the first Calum Woods did brilliantly to show a clean pair of heels to James Husband down the right and deliver to the penalty spot where Alan Browne met the ball powerfully with a header into the bottom left hand corner.
With 90 seconds left Anders Lindegaard made a brilliant on the line block to deny the Terriers an equaliser with all 22 players in the penalty area for a corner for the away side and it proved enough to earn the Lilywhites the three points.
: Lindegaard, Woods, Cunningham, Browne, Clarke (c), Wright, Reach (Doyle, 88), Gallagher, Garner, Hugill (Johnson, 58), Robinson (Welsh, 58). Subs not used: Kirkland, Vermijl, Kilkenny, Huntington.PNE line-up
: Steer, Smith, Hogg, Paterson (Boyle, 90), Cranie, Husband, Bunn (Manu, 78), Lolley (Matmour, 67), Wells, Billing, Lynch (c). Subs not used: Murphy, Davidson, Whitehead, Dempsey, Boyle.Huddersfield Town line-up
: 12,653 (2,245 away fans)Attendance
: Mr D DrysdaleReferee