A look at Saturday’s clash as Town host North End at Portman Road
Current standings: Town are 11th in the Championship following defeat at Cardiff on Tuesday, but are four points off the Play-Off places with a game in hand against Derby to come later this month. Preston sit level on points with Town and occupy 10th position on goal difference.
League form:
Town – L L L W L. Points: 3/15.
Bristol City (H) L 3-1
Sheffield United (A) L 1-0
Norwich (H) L 1-0
Burton (A) W 2-1
Cardiff (A) L 3-1
Preston – D D L L L. Points: 2/15.
Sunderland (H) D 2-2
Fulham (A) D 2-2
Wolves (A) L 3-2
Brentford (H) L 3-2
Aston Villa (H) L 2-0
Previous meetings at Portman Road:
29.08.09 Town 1-1 Preston
30.04.11 Town 2-1 Preston
04.01.14 Town 1-1 Preston (FA Cup)
16.01.16 Town 1-1 Preston
27.08.16 Town 1-0 Preston
Last time we met: 28.01.17 Preston 1-1 Town.
Jordan Hugill scored a last-minute goal for Preston to rescue a point when the sides last met in January. Hugill, who was reported to be on Town’s transfer radar, pounced in the dying stages to save a draw for the hosts at Deepdale. Tom Lawrence had put Mick McCarthy’s men ahead in the early stages when the on-loan Wales international cut inside and curled a fanatstic strike past Lilywhites ‘keeper, and fellow Welshman, Chris Maxwell. Blues stopper Bartosz Bialkowski put in a fine display in the second-half and made a series of saves from Paul Gallagher, Callum Robinson and Aiden McGeady but was unable to prevent Hugill late on.
One to watch: Jordan Hugill.
The Middlesbrough-born forward has seven goals in all competitions this season, with five of those coming in the Championship. Expect the number nine to be a threat on Saturday.
Could be the difference: Preston’s recent defensive record.
Alex Neil’s side began the campaign with six clean sheets out of a possible nine, conceding just three goals in the process. Since then, the Lilywhites have let 13 past them in six league games, a run that has seen them secure no clean sheets and concede at least two goals in the last five matches.
