It’s the 90th league meeting between Preston North End and Birmingham City when the sides meet in the 23rd and final home regular league game of the season at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.
The matches have been tight with the Blues over recent seasons; with North End winning four and drawing two of the last six, but each of the wins was only by a single goal – either 2-1 or 1-0.
The first league meeting between the two teams came way back in September 1894 and it was a memorable first trip for the Blues to PR1, winning 1-0. The biggest home win of the early years, came right before the second world war, when in January 1939 they triumphed 5-0.
However, that was nowhere near the biggest win, which came in February 1958 when the Lilywhites put eight past the visitors, inspired by the great Sir Tom Finney, who got a brace, with Tommy Thompson and Sammy Taylor both getting hat-tricks!
Our featured game today though came in December 2008, when a popular former forward grabbed a late, late winner.
It was a goal that moved North End into the Play-Off positions, as Jon Parkin proved the decisive scorer, as the visitors lost ground on leaders Wolves.
Second-placed City were left six points off the top spot after Ross Wallace fed Parkin, who struck the ball into the bottom corner from six yards.
The visitors had enjoyed the better of an uninspiring game until that point, coming close to breaking the deadlock on the hour when Kevin Phillips headed straight at PNE keeper Andy Lonergan from six yards.
After the game North End manager Alan Irvine said: “We are showing the kind of form which we did at the start of the season. I don't think the win was a present. I think we had to work extremely hard for it and play really well.
“It was a very tight game. Birmingham had their moments, but I think overall we probably just shaded it.”