Match report: PNE 1 Wigan 0

An early goal from Jordan Hugill proved enough to give Preston North End victory over Wigan Athletic at Deepdale.
PNE v WiganPNE v Wigan
PNE v Wigan

Hugill deflected a shot from Aiden McGeady past Latics goalkeeper Adam Bogdan in the seventh minute, a lead the Lilywhites kept hold of to secure a second successive win.

They had to withstand plenty of Wigan pressure for most of the first half but coped better in the second period to gather the three points.

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It was North End's first home win over Wigan since 1995, seven meetings in between seeing five draws and two wins for Latics.

Four of the starters in the midweek League Cup win at Bournemouth kept their places - goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, hat-trick hero Simon Makienok, Bailey Wright and Greg Cunningham.

Maxwell and Makienok were making their first league starts in Preston colours, Maxwell getting the nod over Anders Lindegaard between the sticks.

North End started in a 4-4-2 system, Alex Baptiste at right-back, with Wright partnering Tom Clarke in the middle.

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It was an high tempo start from the home side, Makeinok's persistence down the right-wing earning an early corner, one which Paul Gallagher delivered to the back post where Alan Browne looped a header too high.

Their opener came in the seventh minute, McGeady's shot from 22 yards hitting Hugill and changing direction, totally wrong-footing Bogdan and going into the net.

Such a good start was not capitalised on though, with it being Wigan who went on to see much more of the ball in the first half, their three men in the centre of midfield out-numbering Gallagher and Browne.

A Jordi Gomez cross from the left picked out Will Grigg at the far post, the Northern Ireland international sending his header over the bar.

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Yanic Wildschut caused plenty of problems for Baptiste before switching wings, much of the visitors' attacking play going through him.

In the 24th minute Wildschut cut inside into the box, his shot taken behind by Baptiste who had slid across to block.

Gomez hit a free-kick into the PNE wall, a second bite of the cherry for the Spaniard also blocked by the wall which did its job well.

North End were largely playing on the break, Gallagher spraying a pass out to Callum Robinson on the left-wing in the 37th minute, his low cross finding Makienok at the near post.

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The big Dane stretched to meet it but could only poke the ball wide under pressure from centre-back Dan Burn.

Back at the other end, Gomez put a shot wide of the near post after getting room beyond the home defence.

Two chances fell the Lilywhites' way in the first two minutes of the second half.

Baptiste popped up on the edge of the box to latch on to a Makienok flick, but he dragged his low shot across goal and well wide of the far post.

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Hugill then got clear of the Wigan defence and ran into the box, his low touched behind by Bogdan. It was a good save from the Hungarian but Hugill should have hit his shot with more conviction.

In between those two openings, Grigg had a sight of goal at the other end, his curling shot from the edge of the box going straight into Maxwell's gloves.

Gallagher got the byline in the 55th after bursting down the right hand side of the box, standing a cross up to the back post where Clarke headed wide - him and Makienok somewhat getting in the way of one another.

Robinson wasted a good opening when he came inside off the left-wing but lifted his shot high and wide.

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Wigan came close to an equaliser on the hour, Wildschut's cross from the left travelling through to Byrne on the right side of the box.

Byrne's first shot was saved well by Maxwell with an outstretched foot, the rebound falling to Byrne whose second shot clipped the outside of the post and went wide.

After a Gallagher free-kick had bounced against the wall, North End kept the pressure on and McGeady tried his luck with a low shot from 25 yards which skidded the wrong side of the far post.

A double PNE substitution in the 71st minute saw Makienok and Gallagher replaced by Ben Pearson and Daniel Johnson, the change to 4-3-3 giving the hosts more of a presence in the engine room.

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Wigan substitute Nick Powell shot high over the bar with an ambitious effort from distance in the 81st minute.

As the game ticked into the last five minutes, Wright was harshly judged to have fouled sub Craig Davies 20 yards out, Gomez's free-kick beating the wall but saved comfortably by Maxwell.

North End went on the attack straight away, Pearson bursting forward through the middle and riding two challenges, before shooting just wide as he reached the edge of the box.

Soon after, Browne curled a shot goalwards, the ball striking the head of Jake Buxton and going behind.

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Late in stoppage-time, McGeady played Pearson through in the box but Bogdan got down well at his feet to save

PNE: Maxwell, Baptiste, Clarke, Wright, Cunningham, McGeady, Gallagher (Johnson 71), Browne, Robinson, Hugill, Makienok (Pearson 71). Subs (not used): Humphrey, Doyle, Pringle, Huntington, Lindegaard.

Wigan: Bogdan, Byrne (Davies 79), Buxton, Burn, Warnock, Power, MacDonald (Powell 52), Gomez, Jacobs (Perkins 59), Wildschut, Grigg. Subs (not used): Le Fondre, Woolery, Garbutt, Jaaskalainen,

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)