Match Day Thread Preston North End v Nottingham Forest Deepdale 2/1/21

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LAST TIME OUT

PRESTON NORTH END 2 COVENTRY CITY 0

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STOKE CITY 1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1

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HEAD TO HEAD

First meeting at Deepdale 17/9/1892 PNE 1-0 Win
Last Forest win 15/9/10 1-2
Last season 11/7/20 1-1

FOREST NEWBIES

Arter, Mbe Soh, McKenna, Taylor and Cafu

Forest appear to have a first team squad of about 800
Also new manager in Chris Hughton

FORM GUIDE

PNE 11 FOREST 8

The new year begins with the Lilywhites welcoming Chris Hughton and his Nottingham Forest side to Deepdale.
The experienced manager took charge at the City Ground earlier in the season and has steadied the ship, with the side arriving at Deepdale three unbeaten and looking to kick on in the new year.

For Alex Neil and his men, they are looking to do the same, with three wins in a row and three clean sheets. They have also done the same in the last three home games, giving them a platform to take into 2021.

This is also the final game of the first half of the season and the 12th match in 42 days since the November international break and both sides will want to make it count.

Team News
Alex Neil welcomed back Brad Potts and Andrew Hughes in Tuesday night's win over Coventry City, but he was without top scorer Scott Sinclair, however, he stated in his post-match interview that the former Celtic man is not serious and could be back for the weekend's visit of Forest.

Skipper Alan Browne left the field shortly after half-time against the Sky Blues and will need to be assessed, with fellow midfielder Ben Pearson, along with attackers Louis Moult and Billy Bodin and defender Patrick Bauer all still absent.

For the visitors, Scott McKenna is nearing a return and he could be fit enough to be included at Deepdale. Jack Colback and Luke Freeman are the only players definitely ruled out.

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Match Officials
It was November 2019 last time Saturday’s match official, Tim Robinson, took charge of the Lilywhites, our trip to Derby County and his last game here at Deepdale was bizarrely the goalless draw at home to Saturday’s visitors Nottingham Forest in February the same year.

Prior to that, we saw the referee in December 2017. That game, a 1-0 win at home to Sheffield United, saw Robinson as the man with the whistle at a PNE game, for the second time in three weeks.

Tim, from West Sussex, in his ninth year on the EFL list and was the match official for the 1-1 draw with Norwich City at Carrow Road in November that same season. Before that, he last took charge of North End in his first trip to Deepdale, when we overcame Birmingham City 2-1 back in March of the previous season.

That was his fourth game overall in charge of the Lilywhites, the others all being away trips; Brentford, Ipswich and a 2-0 victory at Coventry City when Joe Garner and then club captain Tom Clarke were on the scoresheet.

This will be his 12th game of the season, his last being table-toppers West Brom’s 2-0 win at Stoke City, in front of the Sky Sports cameras three weeks ago. This season he has issued 35 cautions and one red in those previous 11 games.

This is his second Derby game of the season, having overseen their 2-2 away draw with Stoke City back in August.

The assistants on Saturday afternoon will be Andrew Fox and Wade Smith, whilst the fourth official is experienced referee Anthony Backhouse.

MACS VIEW
A happy New Year to one and all be even better if we could actually get into the grounds but hopefully there is light at te end of a disturbingly long tunnel.
We reach the half way stage with a game against a Forest side who are just above the drop zone
Constant changes in the Managers seat don't help, buying thousands of players is not the way to go.
Although they are struggling think they are a decent side and will provide strong test for our hopefully improving side.
The North End team sheet will be one to watch tomorrow in regards to the contract situation, watch this space

 

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Trees lead through a penalty

 

From Trees site

Lewis Grabban's second-half penalty was enough to earn Nottingham Forest a vital 1-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale.

In a scrappy and hard-fought encounter, Forest had to battle hard to take all three points and earn a first league win at Preston since 2010.

Chris Hughton named an unchanged side from the one which drew 1-1 at Stoke on Tuesday night with the only change coming on the bench where the returning Scott McKenna replaced Loic Mbe Soh.

Forest made a bright start on a bitterly cold afternoon in the North West and they could have been ahead after only seven minutes. Lewis Grabban delivered the ball in from the right-hand side of the penalty area but the unmarked Anthony Knockaert could only hammer the ball over the crossbar from eight yards out.

Goalscoring opportunities had been at a real premium in the first 45 minutes and the half ended with Cafu sending a half-volley just over the target from the edge of the penalty area seconds before referee Tim Robinson blew his whistle.

Brice Samba was called into action in the early stages of the second half to prevent North End from taking the lead. Daniel Johnson skipped past two men inside the box, his cross looped up off Joe Worrall's boot onto the head of Tom Barkhuizen but his effort was superbly pushed around the post by the Forest number one.

Barkhuizen came even closer moments later as he rattled the woodwork from inside the penalty area. The ball found its way through to the former Morecambe man at the far post, he cut inside and curled a strike which bounced off the crossbar and behind for a Forest goal-kick.

A largely uneventful game was beginning to come to life and Ameobi almost found the opening goal with his last action of the afternoon. A left-wing corner was cleared only as far as Ameobi, 20 yards out from goal, and he hammered a rasping drive narrowly over the target before he was replaced by Joe Lolley moments later.

The home side were looking to more likely to break the deadlock and they should have done on 65 minutes but Brad Potts saw a close-range effort well blocked by Yuri Ribeiro before Barkhuizen blazed the follow-up effort well over the crossbar into the Alan Kelly Town End.

For all Preston's second-half pressure, it was Forest who took the lead with 20 minutes to play. A sprawling Darnell Fisher prevented a certain goal from Cafu by blocking the ball with his hands and Grabban stepped up to beat Declan Rudd from the penalty spot and give The Reds a vital advantage.

The woodwork came to Forest's rescue once again with eight minutes to play. Preston defender Ben Davies turned smartly inside the Forest penalty area and fired a shot which cannoned away off Samba's crossbar and The Reds were able to clear the danger and breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite a few nervous moments, including two free-kicks from Paul Gallagher which were kept out well by Samba, Forest were able to cling on to earn a terrific three points and stretch their unbeaten run to five matches.

Forest: Samba; Christie, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro; Sow, Yates, Cafu (Arter 88'); Ameobi (Lolley 63'), Grabban (c) (Taylor 90'), Knockaert

Subs: Smith, Bong, Jenkinson, Mighten, Guerrero, McKenna

Goal: Grabban (pen) 70'

Bookings: Sow 21', Figueiredo 53', Taylor 90'

Preston: Rudd; Fisher, Huntington, Davies, Hughes; Bayliss (Gallagher 77'), Ledson, Barkhuizen, Johnson; Potts (Riis Jakobsen 77'), Maguire (Stockley 87')

Subs: Ripley, Earl, Storey, Rafferty, Holland-Wilkinson, O'Reilly

Booking: Ledson 24'

Referee: Tim Robinson

 

Preston North End boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"First and foremost I thought we should have won the game. We hit the woodwork twice and had numerous opportunities to score, especially in the second half.

"And then we get a dubious penalty. Is it a clear penalty? I wouldn't say so. But I can understand them potentially giving it.

"But I think the disappointing thing is the next bit, because the next bit decides the game. [The penalty taker has] had two touches, I've seen it back.

"He goes to hit it with his right foot and the ball actually loops into the net, and the only way it can do that is if it hits something.

"For the referee to miss it is unforgivable. It's a penalty, it's a dead ball, there's not a lot to take account of."

Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton told BBC Radio Nottingham:

"I am delighted. In the first half we were really good but the only thing we missed was the end product and goals that would have given us a deserved lead.

"That would have eased the pressure in the second half but overall we deserved the victory. The win is massive and gives us confidence.

"We work hard to get into good areas and when you do it's about showing good quality. When we play well and get into good areas we have to capitalise on it. We need to improve in that area.

"Lewis showed composure with the penalty although he did slip. It wasn't a double hit. He actually kicked his own foot. It's good to have him back."

 

Fisher foulded in build up to penalty and a double hit by Grabban nowt wrong according to the ref!!!

 

BBC commentator said the first half was the worst football he had ever seen.