Match Day Thread Preston North End v Birmingham City Deepdale 16/3/2019

The Blues arrive at Deepdale backed by 5623 fans, not been the greatest of weeks, Sunday's nutter against the Villa plus losing both games at home. The news for the Blues could get worse still awaiting a likely points deduction due to financially over stretching themselves, can't remember who the manager at the time was did have a dog who apparently forget to fill in a tax return. Considering all that they have a more than decent season with the two lads up front Adams and Jutkiewicz being a handful for most defences this season. Big side overall bit like Wednesday his could be a bit alehouse at times, they won 3-0 at St Andrews just before Christmas and game sadly that will be remembered for Rudd's ball through legs gaff, however since that day Dec has proved why he is the Number 1 keeper(wonder if Chris Maxwell likes the subs bench at Charlton!!!!)
We need to improve our fairly average home form five draws out of the last six wouldn't be surprised if that is the result tomorrow, last game before the international break which gives us a chance to rest some tired legs, some familar names may be back in the squad and Alex just get the formastion right fella.
First Team News
Team News: Birmingham City

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Manager Alex Neil will welcome back Darnell Fisher after suspension for Saturday’s clash with Birmingham City at Deepdale.
The right back missed the trip to Teesside on Wednesday night, but will face a battle with Joe Rafferty for his place, the January signing from Rochdale playing 70 minutes in the impressive win at the Riverside Stadium and performing well.

Rafferty came on to replace Alan Browne after only 22 minutes against Boro and the Irishman will need to be assessed before checking whether he could take his place in the side.

Tom Barkhuizen travelled to Middlesbrough on Wednesday and he, along with Brad Potts and skipper Tom Clarke should return to the squad, having missed the last few games with minor complaints.

Callum Robinson and Louis Moult have both now had two weeks back in training and stepped up their returns from hamstring injuries and they could be ready to threaten the first team this weekend.
Only the long-term injury, Billy Bodin and Josh Harrop (both ACL) and Connor Ripley (ankle) are unavailable as the Lilywhites look to extend their unbeaten run and put further pressure on the teams above them.

Garry Monk has been without defender Maxime Colin in recent weeks and the weekend could come to soon for the former Brentford full back to return to action.

The Blues boss chose to shake things up for his side’s clash with Millwall on Wednesday night, making four changes, including breaking up the effective Che Adams-Lukas Jutkiewicz partnership after 30 straight games and he could again shuffle his pack in order to ensure a freshness for the trip to Deepdale, with a number of options available to him.

Ref Watch: Birmingham City

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For the fourth time this season Scott Duncan takes charge of the Lilywhites for this weekend’s clash with Birmingham City.
he has already been the referee at Deepdale twice and once away from home, having been the match official at Sheffield United earlier on in the season and the home games against both Brentford and Hull City.

Scott also took charge of three North End games last season, although he unfortunately only finished two! The official was appointed to take charge of the last game before Christmas, at home to Nottingham Forest, but picked up an injury early in the game and was replaced by the fourth official.

That was his second PNE appointment of the campaign, having been the man with the whistle for our goalless draw at Leeds United – our opening away game of the season back in August 2017, as well as the home clash with Ipswich Town.

The season before that he refereed the 3-0 home win over Reading in March of last year, which was his third PNE game of that season, having been referee for the EFL Cup win over Oldham Athletic at Deepdale and the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in early December.
In 2015/16 he was the match official for the League Cup tie at Crewe Alexandra, which saw a 3-1 win for the Lilywhites and the year before that he took charge of the team twice, both at Deepdale, our 1-0 home win over Oldham back in August 2014 and the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient in January.

This is Scott’s seventh year on the EFL lists, having been appointed to the elite group in 2012/13, taking charge of his first PNE game in what proved to be Graham Westley’s final home game, against Shrewsbury Town.

This will be his second Blues game of the season, having officiated their win at Millwall earlier in the year, whilst overall it will be his 28th game of the campaign, thus far having issued 84 cautions and seven red cards, his last game being West Brom’s 3-0 home win over Swansea City on Wednesday night.

On Saturday he will be assisted by Robert Merchant and Sam Lewis, whilst Chris Sarginson is the fourth official.

 

Preston North End 1 Maguire Birmingham City 0
PNE line-up: Rudd, Fisher, Hughes (Earl, 70), Pearson, Storey, Davies, Nmecha, Johnson, Stockley (Barker, 74), Maguire, Potts (Robinson, 60). Subs not used: Crowe, Moult, Rafferty, Ledson.

Birmingham City line-up: Camp, Pedersen, Kieftenbeld, Mahoney (Jota, 79), Adams, Jutkiewicz, Dean, Maghoma, G Gardner, Morrison ©, Harding. Subs not used: Trueman, C Gardner, Vassell, Mrabti, Dacres-Cogley, Davis.

Attendance: 17,509 (5,556 Birmingham City fans)

Referee: Mr S Duncan

Lee Camp the City keeper had had little or nothing to do apart from a scramble in the City goal area in the first half, he probably had one of his easiest afternoons for a while as North End had been rendered largely toothless by a well organised City team who played 442 and harried North End at every opportunity.
He made his first save of mote in the 93rd minute following a super break by the Whites, probably the only football we played all afternoon. Pearson broke at pace fed Nmecha who slipped the ball to Johnson who should have scored but excellent work by a defender and the keeper to scramble the ball to safety.
Camp's nect involvement in the game was to pick the ball from the net after Maguire headed home from the corner to give us three points from a very average performace. City btter side on the day although in saying that in trutch they didn't create a lot either, alhough for most of the game looked the side who were most likely to win. They had plenty of corners but it was a routine clearence by Camp which nearly led to a goal Adams denied by a brave block by Rudd, the other effort was a Maghoma shot which went wide.
The second half had little in the way of goal mouth action until late on with City quite content to sit deep and play on the break. Mahoney had a free kick half saved by Rudd which we just about cleared, and when they had a 4 on 2 break we survived due to a poor pass.
Late on we survived a penalty shout after the ball hit Davies's hand put it this way seen them given, Pearson may have also got lucky in not receiving a second yellow in the first half but we got away with it and in a week were our performances have got progressively worse we have ended up with nine points from three games. JOB DONE.

Birmingham City manager Garry Monk told BBC WM 95.6:

"We can't quite believe it. We thought we were the best team on the pitch; I can't remember them having anything meaningful against us.

"We controlled them, we controlled the whole game until the final seconds and we get punished with the classic sucker-punch.

"We didn't defend that one situation and that's a really harsh one to take. The performance warranted three points and everyone in the stadium realises that, but we haven't got them and it's very difficult for the players to take."

 

It looks as though NE are having a bit of luck on their side and are taking it. One cannot deny them this luck after a season of the poorest of fortune. Probably the reason for poor performance is that the team is tired. An international break should be welcome and the return of injured first teamers.