Match Day Thread Preston North End v Swansea City Deepdale 1/2/2020

First game post Brexit sees us play European opposition in the form of Abertawe, under the stewardship of Steve Cooper the Swans are bobing abot just under the play off zone as are we although they were not helped by coming second to those cheerful and lovely people of Stoke last week.

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Cooper has made a couple of interesting loan signings in the form of Rhian Brewster and Conor Gallagher, se have come up against Gallagher this season, good little player but tends to fall over easily.
They are rare visitors to the historic patch of ground known as Deepdale last season ended as a 1 all draw

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Should be an interesting game against useful opposition
Since our demolition of the hapless Tykes at Oakwell all has been quiet at Deepdale although the gaffer has said Tom Bayliss when fit will be closer to first team action about time in my view given he is apparently the clubs record signing. Likely hood of anybody new arriving before tomorrow night's deadline is probably remote so suspect we will be unchanged from last Tuesday week

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Match Officials: Swansea City Home

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The match official for Saturday’s game at Deepdale is making his second trip to PR1 this season and this is his third Lilywhites match of the campaign.

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Experienced referee Geoff Eltringham will be in charge as of the clash with Swansea City, having also been here for the 3-1 win over Huddersfield Town back in November, as well as having officiated our 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the end of August.

The last time we saw the north east official here in Preston before the Terriers clash, was for the superb home win over Norwich City back in February 2019, before which he also refereed our final game of 2018, when we took a point from a fine performance against Aston Villa.

Prior to that he was referee when the Lilywhites travelled to Ashton Gate and defeated Lee Johnson’s Bristol City in October 2018 and also North End’s trip to Elland Road back in September – making it four games in the 2018/19 campaign, having also officiated five games for Alex Neil’s side in the 2017/18 season!

In that season, having taken charge our early season game at Derby County, Geoff also took charge of the Boxing Day trip to Barnsley, our January win at Nottingham Forest and March’s victory over Bristol City at Deepdale and finally our goalless draw with Norwich City in mid-April.
He also refereed one North End game in 2016/17, the home clash with our Barnsley, having also done one the previous season, the 1-0 home win over Reading.
The year prior to that he took charge of three PNE games, including the 2-0 home win over Peterborough United in March. Back in the 2013/14 campaign he also took charge of North End twice, both of those at Deepdale - the 1-1 draw with Tranmere Rovers back in November 2013 and then the goalless draw with Sheffield United in March.

The County Durham official is an experienced referee who had taken charge of North End a number of other times in the past including the very first game after the departure of Graham Westley, when John Dreyer took the team against an in-form Bournemouth side and ran out 2-0 winners.

He also looked after a thriller back in 2010, when North End overcame Crystal Palace 4-3 at Deepdale.

Geoff has so far taken charge of 17 games this season, with 66 cautions and two red cards issued, however, this will be his first Swans game of the season. For the game, the referee will be assisted by James Mainwaring and James Wilson, whilst Joe Hull will act as the fourth official.

MYSTIC MACS RATING MAX 25

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10

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8

And not forgetting these two, they were right there is a Swansea

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Preston North End 1 Sinclair Swansea City 1 Brewster

PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Rafferty, Pearson, Browne, Barkhuizen (Maguire 85), Johnson, Harrop (Nugent 65), Sinclair. Subs (not used): Clarke, Ledson, Stockley, Potts, Ripley.

Swansea: Woodman, Naughton, Rodon, Guehi, Bidwell, Grimes, Byers (Fulton 80), Gallagher, Ayew, Celina, Brewster (Cullen 88). Subs (not used): Routledge, Wilmot, Dhanda, Cabango, Mulder.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)

Attendance: 12,502 (665 away)

A slow burner of a game which got better as the game progressed, as for the result fair in my view as in truth neither side did enough to win, chances were at a premium as both sides struggled to get through well organised defences.
A cold windy day with the first haf being played on a pitch which was littered with rubbish blown about in the February gale, North End unchanged from beating the hapless Tykes at Oakwell. A dull first 30 was dominated by the Swans with Ayew, Celina and young Liverpool forward Brewster giving us a few issues, they had chances especially a header from a corner which went past an unguarded post on the wrong side for the visitors, against the run of play North End took the lead had to be Sinclair, nice goal as well, worked himself some space before curling the ball past Woodman, he celebrated it however did not run towards the Swans supporters to celebrate.
Didn't take Swansea long to level, Harrop gave the ball away and the Swans took advantage although when Ayew got the ball he looked offside also thought Brewster might havd been offside as well but Mr Nagoo on our side kept his flag down. The Swans players celebrated in front of the Town End which went down like a lead balloon from then on Byers became public enemy number one, no idea what he did but upset a few.
Either side of half time got slightly tetchy, Brewster could possibly have seen red for a two footed lunge on Pearson but Uncle Geoff and his clueless mates were not having the best of games.
North End were on top in the second period but couldn't find their way through a well organised Swans defence, little was seen of their attack as they tended to sit deep and catch us on the break , they have some pace in the side but like the Swans our back line was in top form as well. End to end for a period with the imperious Pearson directing the play, we got into some good positions but no clear cut chances until the last minute to fick ons by Maguire and Nugent, Browne coasting in fired just over the bar from about 15 yards and with that the points were shared, four unbeaten still well in the promotion race.

Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We showed one bit of quality in the first half and it was Scott Sinclair, for the goal. Other than that, I didn't think we competed enough at the top end or in the middle.

"We gave a real sloppy ball away in the bottom left-hand corner and that leads to their goal. When the game's scrappy, you want to make sure you do things well, stay in the game and keep your lead. It's a really poor goal for us to concede.

"At half-time we had a good chat. We needed to be braver and earn the right to play. I thought we did all of that in the second half, I thought we were very good. Everything about us was just better."

Swansea head coach Steve Cooper told BBC Sport Wales:

"We always want to win but respect to Preston - they have a good home record and the most goals scored.

"Then we go 1-0 down completely against the run of play. You have to stand up and be counted.

"Young players can easily get affected by that but we bounced back quickly.

"We need to focus on the positives and there were a lot of those today."

 

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vid...ons/championship/11923891/preston-1-1-swansea

 

After watching your link: excellent goal by Sinclair but Swans goal was twice offside. NE don't have the rub of the green with these decisions.

 

The pass through to Ayew got a touch from a home player therefore onside

 

but wasn't Brewster offside also?

 

I thought so but as the liner was abject we will never know