PREVIEW: PRESTON NORTH END (H)

22 October 2020

Everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game

- Huddersfield Town vs Preston North End preview
- The ones to watch on Alex Neil’s side
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town will welcome Preston North End to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday 24 October 2020; 3pm kick-off.

Carlos Corberán’s Terriers will be hoping to stretch their unbeaten run to five league matches this weekend.

Town go into this game off of the back of a 1-0 win against Derby County on Tuesday after Juninho Bacuna’s solitary strike. The win means Town have picked up 10 points from the last 12 available.

This is the second of the two home games in week for Town as they face Preston North End on Saturday.

THE OPPOSITION

Having finished just four points off the play-off places in 2019/20, Alex Neil’s side will be looking at pushing towards promotion at the end of this season.

They have so far endured an even start to the season after winning three out of their first six games.

Goals have not been hard to come by at the beginning of this season; they have scored eight in their six games.

PNE have been particularly impressive on their travels boasting the best away form in the Sky Bet Championship.

FORM GUIDE

As mentioned earlier, the Terriers will be looking to make it five games unbeaten when they face Alex Neil’s side on Saturday.

The win against Derby on Tuesday continued the winning streak after the win against Swansea last weekend after coming back from the international break.

As for the visitors, they will be looking to back up their 2-0 win during the week against QPR.

Before this victory, Preston had only won one other game this season; the Lilywhites beat Brentford prior to the international break.

ONES TO WATCH

Ryan Ledson

Ledson joined Preston in the summer of the 2018/19 season from Oxford United and in his first season alone he made almost 30 appearances. The 23-year-old was part of England’s youth set-up between 2012 and 2017. This season has seen a good start for the midfielder as he has started each game in the first five fixtures of the 2020/21 campaign. He’s been impressing alongside Ben Pearson in the middle of midfield.

Ryan Ledson.jpg

Alan Browne

Club Captain Alan Browne joined PNE in January 2014 and has been a key player ever since. The midfielder has been capped for the Republic of Ireland on 10 occasions and scored his only international goal against Bulgaria in September 2019. He has won countless awards at Preston such as: Fans’ Young Player of the Year, Player of the Year, Goal of the Season and Players’ Player of the Year.

Alan Browne.jpg

Scott Sinclair

The forward joined Preston from Celtic in January this year and has been in the starting line-up in each game this season so far. Sinclair is responsible for half of the goals that Preston have scored this season; he has scored four goals in five games. The 31-year-old will be looking to continue this run against the Terriers.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

The Terriers go into this fixture with the better record; they have won 36 out of the 93 encounters and have drawn 23, while the visitors are coming into the fixture having won only 34.

In the last decade, however, Preston have won five out of the nine matches since October 2011.

Town’s last win in the fixture came back in the 2016/17 season when Collin Quaner scored in the 90th minute to give the Terriers all three points in a 3-2 win at the John Smith’s Stadium.

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Saturday’s meeting with the Lilywhites is one of 12 fixtures across the Sky Bet Championship this weekend.

Here is a look at the full list of games in the division in this round of matches (all kick-offs are at 3pm unless stated otherwise):

FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2020

Nottingham Forest vs Derby County (7.45pm KO)

SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER 2020

Watford vs AFC Bournemouth (12.30pm KO)
Huddersfield Town vs Preston North End
Queens Park Rangers vs Birmingham City
Norwich City vs Wycombe Wanderers
Reading vs Rotherham United
Cardiff City vs Middlesbrough
Sheffield Wednesday vs Luton Town
Bristol City vs Swansea City
Millwall vs Barnsley
Coventry City vs Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City vs Brentford

TEAM NEWS

Carlos Corberán will provide an update on his side ahead of Saturday’s game during his virtual press conference on Friday 23 October 2020.

KIT

The Terriers will once again be in the blue-and-white striped home kit this weekend. CLICK HERE to order yours!

HOW TO WATCH

With the game being played behind-closed-doors, Town Season Card holders will be able to watch the match for FREE on iFollow HTAFC!

If you aren’t a Season Card Holder, then you can purchase a match pass for £10. CLICK HERE for more information.

Match Reports

REPORT: TOWN 1-2 PRESTON

24 October 2020

A second half turnaround saw Huddersfield Town beaten 2-1 by Preston North End at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Fraizer Campbell had given the Terriers an early lead but two quickfire strikes from Alan Browne shortly after the interval put the visitors ahead.

Town also finished the game a man down after Naby Sarr was dismissed for bringing down Emil Riis Jakobsen who was through on goal late on.

Town’s Head Coach made two changes to the side that overcame Derby County on the same pitch on Tuesday evening.

Captain Christopher Schindler returned to the starting XI alongside Lewis O’Brien who was making his first start of the season for the Terriers.

Going into the encounter off the back of two wins earlier in the week, it was Town who put in the more confident and free-flowing start in the drizzly West Yorkshire rain.

With the majority of the opening five minutes being played in the visitors’ half, the Terriers were looking dangerous in attacking areas with alert goalkeeping from Preston ‘keeper Declan Rudd required to cut out through balls directed into the path of first Juninho Bacuna, and then Fraizer Campbell.

The man in the Lilywhites goal got the better of the battle with Town’s no.22 on the first occasion, but second time around it was Campbell who won the race to get the Terriers off to a lightning quick start.

The forward met Lewis O’Brien’s inch-perfect pass through the Preston backline before sliding the ball under the ‘keeper to give Town an eighth minute lead on his 200th career start in English league football.

He nearly made it a double moments later, nodding Harry Toffolo’s cross from the left goal-bound but just wide of the far post.

After a quick start, the visitors began to grow into the encounter themselves, with Scott Sinclair slicing a good opportunity wide from inside the box with their first real chance of the contest.

Moments later, Naby Sarr’s superb sliding block stopped Emil Riis Jakobsen getting the Lilywhites level, with Patrick Bauer heading wide from the resulting corner.

At the other end, it was Pipa who nearly doubled the Town lead. The Terriers full-back cut in from the right and curled an effort goalwards on his weaker left foot, producing a good diving save from Rudd to keep it out.

After the break, it was Carlos Corberán’s side who went close with the first chance of the half. After Juninho Bacuna had done well to win a free-kick outside the box, Isaac Mbenza’s effort beat the wall but fell just on the wrong side of the post.

A frantic five minutes followed in which the visitors completed a quick turnaround to take the lead.

Preston Captain Alan Browne cut in from the left and found the bottom corner to level the scores on 51 minutes before he doubled up moments later, capitalising on a mis-communication at the back to give the Lilywhites the lead.

As the game ticked over the hour mark, two last-ditch efforts stopped the visitors from extending on their lead.

First, it was Sarr who got back to take the ball off the toes of Brad Potts before Richard Stearman’s goal-saving tackle prevented Riis Jakobsen from finding the net.

The task of getting back into the game was made harder, when Town were reduced to 10 after Sarr was sent off for pulling down Riis Jakobsen who was through on goal.

Despite being a man down, the Terriers continued to rally and could have had an equaliser but were twice denied by Rudd, who stretched well to tip both Josh Koroma’s and Pipa’s efforts round the post.

In the five minutes of added time that followed, Town’s Spanish full-back again found himself in an attacking area and hit the post with what turned out to be the Terriers final attempt on goal as the visitors saw out the game to claim all three points.

Next up for Town is a midweek trip to St. Andrew’s to face Birmingham City in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday 28 October 2020; 7.45pm kick-off.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (3-5-2)

Ben Hamer; Naby Sarr, Christopher Schindler (c) (Adama Diakhaby, 58’), Richard Stearman; Harry Toffolo, Jonathan Hogg, Lewis O’Brien (Carel Eiting, 58’), Juninho Bacuna, Pipa; Isaac Mbenza (Josh Koroma, 71’), Fraizer Campbell

Unused subs

Joel Pereira; Alex Pritchard, Demeaco Duhaney, Romoney Crichlow

PRESTON NORTH END (3-4-1-2)

Declan Rudd; Andrew Hughes, Patrick Bauer, Jordan Storey; Joe Rafferty, Ryan Ledson (Josh Harrop, 90+1’), Brad Potts, Alan Browne (c); Daniel Johnson (Sean Maguire, 84’); Scott Sinclair (Tom Barkhuisen, 72’), Emil Riis Jakobsen

Unused subs

Connor Ripley; Tom Bayliss, Jayden Stockley, Paul Huntington

REFEREE

Josh Smith