PNE meet Cheltenham Town for the first time in competitive action this evening as the sides battle for a place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Tuesday 21st September, 7.45pm kick-off
Competition: Carabao Cup Third Round
Kit: Home kit – available to order here!
Supporter Information
Tickets for this game will remain on sale right up until kick-off, but supporters are strongly encouraged to purchase in advance to avoid queues on the evening of the game. Find full details here.
Our fan zone is open once again this evening from 5.30pm, with the usual offerings of alcohol, food and live music available. Last orders before the game will be 7.30pm, while the fan zone will reopen after the game until 10.30pm.
There will be no live stream for tonight's game due to Carabao Cup restrictions, but supporters unable to attend will be able to listen live on iFollow PNE, with commentary coming from Jonathan Breeze and David Buchanan. Subscribe to get your match pass or monthly pass here.
PNE Team News
Speaking pre-match, Frankie McAvoy told iFollow PNE that he will field a strong and competitive team to take on Cheltenham as his side look to progress to the next round.
Club captain Alan Browne could be back in contention to feature after missing the weekend’s draw against West Brom with a knock.
Patrick Bauer suffered a broken nose in that game in a clash with Jordan Hugill and so will be checked on, while Josh Murphy will be unavailable for selection as he featured for Cardiff City in the first two rounds.
The Opposition
Cheltenham Town enjoyed a superb campaign last time out as they lifted the League Two title for the first time in their history.
Former Burnley defender Michael Duff, manager of the Robins since September 2018, took his side to the Play-Off semi-final in the season prior, before then securing that automatic promotion in April 2021.
They’ve made a solid start to life in League One too and will likely travel to Deepdale full of confidence.
Key Stats
The Robins head into this game four unbeaten in the league, having won their last two against Charlton Athletic and Oxford United respectively.
Striker Alfie May was their top goalscorer last season, netting 12 times in all competitions, and he’s top of the list again so far this term with four goals.
PNE have never met Cheltenham in a competitive fixture previously, but one North End man who has is Jordan Storey, who scored his second goal in professional football against the Robins back in April 2018.
Man In The Middle
The referee for this evening’s game will be Dean Whitestone, who returns to Deepdale exactly a month after his last visit.
He was the man who took charge of the 1-0 victory at home to Peterborough in August.
Assisting Whitestone will be Steven Meredith and Shaun Hudson, while Bobby Madley is fourth official.
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