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First Team News

Memorable Match: Ipswich Town

1 November 2018

First Team News

Memorable Match: Ipswich Town

1 November 2018

Back in October 2006, Paul Simpson's Preston North End moved into the Championship's automatic promotion positions as they came from 2-0 down to defeat Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Ticket News

Ticket Information: Ipswich Town

1 November 2018
The hosts took an early lead when former PNE favourite Jon Macken scored a penalty after Matthew Hill fouled Mark Noble and then Alan Lee headed home a Matt Richards cross to double the Tractor Boys' advantage.
 
The Lilywhites pulled one back with David Nugent volleying home - continuing his reputation as a nemesis for the Suffolk side – and they levelled when Liam Chilvers headed into the net from a Graham Alexander free-kick.
 
They won it when Simon Whaley arrowed a shot in the corner from 20 yards to send the small, but vocal band of following fans into ecstasy.
 
The Blues went ahead in only the ninth minute. Noble flicked the ball away from Hill inside the penalty area, the defender sent him crashing to the ground and referee Paul Melin immediately pointed to the spot.
 
The ball was handed to former PNE man Macken, who sent the ball to ex-Manchester City team-mate Carlo Nash's left to score his first goal for the Blues and Town's 3,000th home goal as a professional club.
 
Jim Magilton's side grew in confidence after the goal and Richards forced a good save from Nash with a shot from the edge of the area. Soon after Lee headed wide from a Noble corner.
 
Just after the half hour, Fabian Wilnis crossed from the right and Nash missed it at his far post. Richards did well to get on to the loose ball, but saw his shot from a tight angle blocked.
 
On 37 minutes the Blues added to their lead. Legwinski made a strong run through the middle before being tackled, the ball falling to Richards wide on the left. The former England U21 international whipped in a cross to the far post where Lee headed past Nash for his fourth goal of the season.
 
The home side were applauded off the field at the break having fully deserved their lead. Magilton's men had settled after netting the early penalty and looked the more likely. PNE had rarely spent any time in possession and Lewis Price was largely a spectator.
 
The Lilywhites would stretch Price for the first time four minutes into the second period, Paul McKenna finding space inside the area and the Wales keeper making an impressive save down to his right. Bruce half-cleared as far as Chris Sedgwick on the edge of the box, but Noble blocked the former Rotherham man's effort.
Simpson's men had improved after the break, but their first goal still came against the general run of play and was a complete gift. Wilnis and Price were at cross purposes as the keeper advanced as the defender headed back to him and Nugent slipped between the two to steal the ball and slide it into the net.
First Team News

Ref Watch: Ipswich Town

1 November 2018
The goal seemed to completely knock the stuffing out of the previously comfortable Blues. No one seemed to want to hold on to possession and Town were suddenly on the back foot.
 
Three minutes after the first goal came the second. Graham Alexander sent a freekick into the Town box from half-way and Chilvers was left unmarked to loop a header over Price and into the net.
 
Now it was the yellows who had the better of it as Town reeled, and their disastrous second half got even worse in the 65th minute when Whaley brought the ball forward down the left from half-way before lashing a low shot into the corner of Price's net.
 
After the game Ipswich Town manager Jim Magilton said: "We passed the ball well in the first half but stopped doing it after the interval.
 
"The goals we conceded were jokes and giving away free headers is a disease that has crept into our game. It has got to stop. You cannot switch off at any level and we did that."
 
Whilst North End boss Simpson added: "We had a shocking first half, but made a great comeback. Our second half display was more like we have come to expect from our players.
"At the interval I said that if we could get a goal back quickly we could still win the match. When we scored it gave us a massive lift and you could see Ipswich were starting to wilt."
Ipswich Town line-up: Price, Wilnis, De Vos, Bruce, Harding, Peters, Legwinski, Noble, Richards (Roberts, 79), Lee, Macken (Clarke, 79). Subs not used: Supple, Currie, Walton.
 
PNE line-up: Nash, Alexander, St. Ledger, Chilvers, Hill, Whaley, Sedgwick (Neal, 87), McKenna, Pugh, Nugent (Davidson, 90), Dichio (Ormerod, 66). Subs not used: Lonergan, Wilson.
 
Attendance: 19,337
 
Referee: Mr P Melin (Frimley)

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