Match Day Thread Preston North End v Blackburn Rovers Deepdale 25/4/2022

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FORM GUIDE

PNE 7 ROVERS 3

LAST TIME OUT

Team News

Skipper Alan Browne and striker Emil Riis, who both missed the trip to Fulham through injury, are on the grass but will need to be assessed ahead of this fixture.

Ched Evans is also a doubt, having been forced off at Craven Cottage with a toe ligament injury.

Patrick Bauer missed out through an Achilles problem, but the defender should be in contention on Monday night.

The Opposition

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After a strong first half to the season, Rovers appeared well in the race for automatic promotion, but their attempts have slowed down in recent matches.

Two victories in their last 15 games has seen them drop out of the Play-Off spots and, with everybody else playing before Monday evening, they could arrive at Deepdale six points away from sixth place if results don't go in their favour.

Defender Tayo Edun will be back in contention for this fixture after serving a suspension last week, while Tony Mowbray is hopeful of being able to call upon Bradley Dack who was injured in the half-time warm-up last Monday.

Key Stats

Ben Brereton Diaz, now a regular for Chile, is responsible for scoring almost 40% of Rovers’ goals this season, having netted 21 in the Championship.

Most of Blackburn’s points this term have come at Ewood Park, with Tony Mowbray’s side arriving at Deepdale winless in their previous nine away fixtures.

Three points for PNE would see them reach their final points tally (61) from the 2020/21 campaign, with two games to go.

Our Last Victory



PNE's last three points against Rovers came at Ewood Park in February 2021, as a stunning opener from Greg Cunningham followed by Liam Lindsay's first goal for the club was enough to earn the three points, despite Adam Armstrong's goal from the penalty spot.

Man In The Middle

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Jeremy Simpson is the man with the whistle for Monday night’s Lancashire derby.

Simpson has taken charge of two PNE games so far this season, with the most recent being the away victory at Stoke City in January, while he has refereed 16 North End matches in his career.

He has officiated 32 games this term, showing 122 yellow cards and seven reds, including two sendings off in his last three matches.

 

Preston North End 1 Browne Blackburn Rovers 4 Gallagher Buckley Leniham Travis

PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes (Rafferty, 71); Potts, Whiteman (McCann, 82), Browne, Johnson, Cunningham (Maguire, 45); Riis, Evans. Subs not used: Ripley, Lindsay, Sinclair, O’Neill.

Blackburn Rovers line-up: Kaminski; Lenihan, van Hecke, Wharton, Pickering; Travis, Rothwell (Edun, 87), Buckley (Dack, 87); Hedges, Gallagher (Poveda, 79), Brereton Diaz. Subs not used: Pears, Ayala, Dolan, Zeeifuk.

Attendance: 15,229 (3,361 away fans).

Referee: Mr J Simpson.

In a season of performances of utter dross this is probably a late entry into the worst of the lot winners, truly awful last night against our nearest geographical rivals.Give them credit they wanted it more than us, passed it better played at a high tempo and their dead ball delivery was excellent. Meanwhile we couldn't defend dead balls,(Goals 1/3) and failed to tackle players (Goals 2/4)
A booking for Pickering after 40 seconds showed intent from them and for a brief period of time we looked on top, however by the 12th minute we were two down, the first free kick to the back post, headed back towards goal rebounds off the post Gallagher easily heads home from close range. Minutes later Buckley picks up the ball in midield in acres of space, has a full back with the freedom of the North West going down the right, ambles towards goal, no challenge fires in off the inside of the post
Could have been three when Hedges was denied by a last ditch Johnson tackle, they claimed a penalty, however they did at times find sniffing grass very easy to do.
Bit of releif we put together a move which involved more than three passes a very rare occasion last nigt, Cunningham mainly involved, Browne cut inside his defender at the end of the move and fired home. Game on well no, a dubious free kick at the edge of the box, similar scenario to the first goal except the header from Lenihan went straight in this time.
Given we have only scored three once this season the prespects of getting any thing from the game looked bleak.
One change at half time the non scoring Maguire for Cunningham, made no difference, Travis soon waltzed past Hughes to make it four, we had an effort scrambled from te line and Diaz headed against the bar for them.
With so many home fans leaving before the end, Rovers fans would have felt at home in an empty ground as Ewood usually is, as for the game best consigned to the bin marked ****e.
One throwback from last night Monday night 7.30 kick offs were the norm for North End when I started watching them.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It definitely wasn't the night I was looking for, I didn't really see that coming.

"We can't give two goals away in 12 or 13 minutes - with all due respect Blackburn weren't in great form and we felt we could get on to them early, especially being at home, but it was the opposite way round.

"Ultimately we just weren't at the races and we've have been punished for it.

"We were passive in so many ways - the passing wasn't great, the aggression in getting the ball back wasn't great."

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"What pleases me most is the control in the game. I don't think at any stage we were in danger of losing. They applied themselves really well today.

"It was almost as if the pressure was lifted off them and they could play. They looked like the Blackburn Rovers team that we know that we've got.

"It was good to see two midfield players score tonight, which has been a huge issue, that we don't score enough goals from midfield."

 

Do you think they have already booked their holiday destinations or are they just dross?

 

Bit of both and believe me losing to that lot, rankles, I was born there

 

You weren't to blame!