Game 18 a win in the JPT

At the fifth attempt Preston finally won a game in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy after four penalty shoot outs on the trot. the 4-2 win over local rivals Morecambe propels the Whites ever closer to Wembley.
Classic game of two halves the first about as entertaining as being stuck for an hour in Lancaster's infamous one way system.
The early stages were fairly tetchy as Haining the home centre back was less than pleased by a challenge Proctor which cut the home players mouth, he needed an escort from the pitch to get his mouth fixed threatening to disembowel the Preston midfielder, also Cummings the Preston forward was stamped on by a Morecambe dfender.
When football did break out the home side were close to scoring following a run by Brodie by the finish by Reid was powder puff, at the other end Cummings was inches away from getting his head to the ball.
The home side took the lead half way through the half after a bit of shambolic Preston defence, Keane and Huntington managed to make a horlicks of routine passes and the ball was scrambled home by Mustoe. (1-0)
Little of interest happened in the rest of the half apart from the linesman with the yellow flag managing to get most offside decisions incorrect.
The second half however was all action, both teams gave scant regard to any defending and the goals flew in at a rate of knots.
Morecambe should have increased the lead but both Brodie and Bowden missed good chances.
North End leveled the score just before the hour mark when Cummings flicked the ball home from a free kick (1-1) North End started to get on top and Proctor fired narrowly over the top from 20 yards.
Preston took the lead when Sodje lashed home a pass from Robertson from 10 yards. (1-2) The lead didn't last long when Robertson played his part at the other end by giving away a penalty, Brodie scored with ease. (2-2)
Almost immediately Huntington headed home from a corner to put Preston back in the lead. (2-3) End to end stuff, only some determined defending by North End kept the home side out and when a header went over the bar from a Morecambe corner, victory was almost at hand and victory was sealed when a scuffed clearance from home keeper Arestidou found it's way to Sodje who rolled the ball into the unguarded net from 20 yards.

Morecambe 2 Preston North End 4 Att 2577E

Game 17 Poor

This was a shocker, North End produced a performance of such stunning ineptitude as Oldham cruised to a 3-1 win. As usual the trip to Boundary Park also corresponds with the arrival of a localish ice age,.
Twenty years ago this ground stated Premiership football however the years since then have certainly taken it's toll on Boundary Park.
The old Texaco stand has been demolished, the main stand has areas where the seats have been taken out for sfaety reasons, the phrase past it's best springs to mind.
Luckily there wasn't the usual gale force wind rattling around the old ground but the temperature was distinctly chilly.
North End dominated the early stages and nearly took the lead when a massive throw from keeper Stuckmann found Amoo in space after an Oldham dfender had tripped on a worm cast.
Amoo advanced on goal and has rasping effort was pushed past the post by keeper Bouzanis. To be honest the football was pretty drab, as both sides cancelled each other out and the ball tended to be fired skywards on too many occasions.
Latics took the lead after 27 minutes, King gave away a needless free kick and Baxter duly curled the ball into the net past the outstretched hands of Stuckmann. (1-0)
Neither side threatened in the minutes up to half time although one shot from Beavon was well saved by the home keeper.
The game ambled along for 10 minutes until a fine move down the left hand side of the pitch led to Montano sliding the ball past Stuckmann into the net to double the lead for the home side. (2-0)
From then on in North End disappeared, pass went astray with regularity as Oldham threatened to rack up a few more, Stuckmann had already pulled off one brilliant save early in the second half, when he also did well to block a Derbyshire shot to the near post.
The third goal wasn't long in arriving, gifted by Byrom whose past back to the keeper only found Furman who was able to advance on goal and beat Stuckmann with ease. (3-0)
At this point many of the large away following made for the exits, those that left missed the sending off of Cansdell-Sherriff, seemed a harsh red card, although from my vantage point it was hard to say whether he was last man or not.
Sodje got a consolation for the away side with the last kick of the game but by then noboby really seemed to care. Pitiful

Oldham Athletic 3 Preston North End 1 Att 5496

Game 16 Just got home

Preston duly beat Yeovil 3-2 in a game whic only really came to life, in the second half after a truly dire first half. The visitors tooks the lead from the penalty spot after 6 minutes, a through ball was chased by Ugwu, the ball was going towards the edge of the penalty box, Stuckmann the home keeper dived punching the ball out for a throw in, Ugwu collapsed over the keepers prone body and the referee quite bizarrely gave a penalty, it was the first of many strange decisions by the official. Williams duly converted. (0-1)
The remainder of the first half was eminently forgettable as Yeovil set up shop to keep the score at 1-0 whilst the home side seemed to be quite happy to lump the ball skywards or alternatively pass to people in the stands, can't recall either keeper being remotely troubled after the penalty.
The second half started in similar vein until a couple of thunderous tackles by full back Keane sparked the home side into life.
Both wingers Hayhurst and Monakana began to find a bit of space down the flanks and finally a Hayhurst cross was dummied by Beavon and Monakan only after about 3 attempts finally managed to put the ball in the net. (1-1)
The home side started to take control and it wasn't long before the home side took the lead Monakana's cross being bundled home by Beardsley at the far post. (2-1)
North End were in complete control and were firmly in the driving seat when Upson fouled Monakana, he received his 2nd yellow card and departed for early use of the shower.
North End should really have killed the visitors off missing several chances but finally score again with five minutes to go when Beavon linked with King whose shot from the by line hit Burn and ended up in the net. (3-1) Game over well not quite, from a free kick a minute later Burn scored at the right end with a header from a free kick. (3-2)
Yeovil threw caution to the wind and really should have gone further behind when Beavon blazed over from close range, Yeovil ploughed merrily on and were within inches of bringing the score level when Webster's header was cleared from the line by Wright. The home side clung on to the lead to edge the game.

Preston North End 3 Yeovil Town 2 Att 8520

Game 15 wet night in the cup

On a night the Ark would have been a suitable mode of transport, 4959 hardy souls braved a deluge of biblical proportions to see Middlesbrough end Preston involvement in this seasons Capital One Cup with a 3-1 at Deepdale.
Middlesbrough made 11 changes from their last match, however you would have know in as the "reserve eleven" battered the home side for the first 30 minutes of this game. Two goals in the first 20 minutes gave the Boro a deserved lead in fact they could have had a couple of others in the opening spell, only a great save from Simonsen kept them out.
It was no surprise when they took the lead, an in swinging corner curled straight in from Ledesma, (0-1) within five minutes it was two when a fine Boro move led Zemmama firing home from about 25 yards.(0-2)
With Boro dominating the play this looked like a massacre but gradually as the away took their foot off the pedal the home side slowly began to probe although any chance of them scoring looked as remote as the rain stopping.
A series of corners brought no reward to the home side then out of the blue they reduced the arrears a neat move found Beavon whose inch perfect pass led to King scoring.(1-2)
The rain got heavier as the second half started and Boro were in control again, making the ball do the work, they look as they could step up a gear but North End didn't give Amoo went close with a header and Byrom hit a shot just wide.
Then just as the home side were buiding up a head of steam a major defensive cock up killed the game as Huntington and Simonsen collectively messed up, in the ensuing melee Smallwood bundled the ball home (1-3)
Boro were back in control and looked like they could score at will with substitute Haroun going close, but the home side didn't give up Leutwiler was forced into a fine double save from Laird and Beavon, Wroe went close with a shot that was tipped over and Beavon missed when it would have been easier to score,but with the last kick off the game Emnes nearly made it four for Boro but his deflected shot hit the post.
An entertaining game on a dire night but played on a fantastic playing surface you wouldn't have realised that it had been raining for nearly 50 hours.


Preston North End 1 Middlesbrough 3 att 4959

Game 14 Not convincing

A meeting of two clubs in crisis at Lancaster today, the home side managerless and a section of fans unhappy with the decision to sack the previous manager, whilst the visitors Garforth Town, had had the water and electricity cut off at their ground because of unpaid bills and had lost the vast majority of players due to the financial crisis at the club.
The game didn’t promise much and for 65 minutes it didn’t provide much in the way of entertainment.
The vast majority of the visitors only arrived at the ground 40 minutes before the kick off which was delayed to give them time to prepare for the game.
Within two minutes the visitors were ahead when some poor defending by Marshall who was easily beaten by a Garforth forward, the ball found it’s way to Smith who shot home from close range. (0-1)
The visitors grew in confidence and played some decent football on a bobbly pitch, but parity wasn’t long in coming . From a Lancaster free kick on the left the ball was crossed to the back post where Kilfin was able to nob home easily. (1-1)
From then until half time there was absolutely little of interest although Kilfin should have done better from a knock down by City’s on loan Brazilian striker Branco.
The game was stop start due to countless fouls, both City full backs were replaced before half time after having been clattered by visiting players.
Garforth seemed to have the motto they will not be passing at any price, it didn’t make for great football.
Half time came and went the tempreture started to drop but the game continued in the same vein.
A mini flair up between Stringfellow and the Garforth Number 8 should have lead to a rad card for the Garforth player, but a warning was all that was given.
Not for long though the left full back was soon able to use the shower before his team mates when he received a second yellow.
The difference in numbers was soon made to count when substitute Rothwell’s deflected cross found Branco at the back post, easy goal. (2-1)
Within three minutes the game was over as a contest when Rothwell’s cross somehow crossed the line. (3-1)
Garforth collapsed like a pack of cards although still managing to commit as many fouls as they could.
City contrived to waste chance after chance, Swarbrick hitting the bar with a thunderous drive from 20 yards.
City weren’t to be denied, a shot by Rothwell was fumbled by keeper O’Neiell and Branco finished with panache from close range. (4-1)
Branco then wasted a glorious chance from less than 5 yards for his hat trick, he ballooned the ball into the car park, more chances were missed by the home side, but the bast chance to score went to the visitors when keeper McDonald poor cleareance went straight to a Garforth player but his goal bound shot was cleared from the line by Marshall.
A long winter ahead for both sides although Lancaster are now ninth this was not a convincing performance.

Lancaster City 4 Garforth Town 1 Att 171

Game 13 Not as easy as it sounds

Well it was a comprehensive victory in the end but the scoreline doesn't actually tell the picture of the game, Preston started as they had left off against Crawley on Saturday on the back foot, Hartlepool had two nippy winger who kept firing in cross for the human battering ram that was Steve Howard.
Preston were second best for the best part of 25 minutes as the visitors were quicker to every ball.
Goals however change games and North End scored five of them.
On 28 minutes the home side took the lead, the visitors never really cleared a corner the ball pinged around the edge of the Hartlepool penalty area the ball fell to Beavon whose powerful shot was parried by Flinders in the Pool goal, following a goalmouth scramble the ball landed at the left foot of Byrom who lashed the ball home. (1-0)
Within a minute it was two and praise must go to the referee Mr Bates who allowed a good advantage after a foul on a Preston player, the ball eventually found it's way to Beavon who hammered the ball past Flinders from 20 yards. (2-0)
At this point Hartlepool were in danger of being swamped, Beavon going narrowly wide with a header, somehow Hartlepool clung on to half time without going even further behind.
As with the first half Hartlepool started the second half brightly, Welsh blocking a Franks effort before Monkhouse from close range managed somehow to put the ball over the Preston bar from almost under the cross bar.
Under constant pressure Preston broke away in the 65th minute and virtually killed the game off, Beavon braking down the right and his inch perfect cross was nodded home by King although it has to be said Flinders in the Pool goal should have done better. (3-0)
Minutes later King was inches away from a 4th as Preston ran riot against the visitors.
Wroe and Sodje went close until with five minutes to go Laird headed home the fourth from a corner. (4-0) Laird wasn't finished and with three minutes to go he went on a mazy 40 yards run beating several defenders before blasting the ball past Flinders (5-0)
Looks comfortable but it wasn't.

Preston North End 5 Hartlepool United 0 Att 8312

Game 12 Like last season

Crawley's first visit to Deepdale resulted in their first victory as they ran out deserved winners 2-1 thereby bringing the home sides five game unbeaten run to an end. The home side turned in a performance which was akin to some of the rubbish they turned in last season, hopefully it will be a temporary blip.
North End started the brighter with Beavon going close with an effort which went wide of the far post.
Gradually Crawley took control with their neat passing style.
Adams went close for the visitors before a superb last ditch tackle from Buchanan denied Ajose a goal scoring chance. 
In truth there was little goalmouth action in a dull first half. The only entertainment came mainly due to the inconsistent referee, most of the poor decisions seemed to go against the home side and tempers started to fray on the pitch. Needless to say the referee was not greeted with a standing ovation at half time.
The game was turned on it's head with two goals within the first 15 minutes of the second half, both scored by Crawley skipper Alexander, his first from a deep cross to the back post and the second a classy curling finish with the outside of his right foot from 20 yards. (0-2)
North End huffed and puffed but the damage had been done, Jones in the Crawley net will probably not have an easier afternoon. North End reduced the deficit with time almost up, a free kick from the right was headed home by Huntington. (1-2)
A shot from Wroe was tipped over by Jones, but to be honest this was a bad day at the office and Crawley deserved the victory.


Preston North End 1 Crawley Town 2 Att 9812