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Preston North End 2 Ipswich 0
Second-half goals from Neill Collins and Danny Welbeck gave Preston North End victory over Ipswich at Deepdale on Saturday.
It was the first time either of them had scored in PNE colours, Collins netting within five minutes of coming on as a substitute.
Welbeck then marked his home debut with a delightful chipped finish from the edge of the box to seal victory.
North End had to battle for the three points against Roy Keane's men, a drab first-half giving way to more action after the interval.
Darren Ferguson's men made a hesitant start to proceedings, in fact Ipswich were camped in the PNE half for the opening 10 minutes, forcing five corners.
But the visitors' only chance in that spell was a shot from Liam Rosenior which comfortably cleared the bar.
The first sight of goal for PNE came in the 12th minute, Eddie Nolan's quickly taken throw-in finding Ross Wallace on the left-wing.
Wallace crossed from the byline, Chris Brown rising highest at the far post but steering a header well wide.
After 17 minutes, Neil Mellor fired high over the bar and into the Bill Shankly Kop after finding himself unmarked just outside the box.
Soon afterwards, Brown wasn't too far off target with a low 20-yard shot, Welbeck's pass setting him up.
At the other end, Jamie Peters lifted a shot high over the bar, then David Norris rolled a tamely-struck shot straight into Andrew Lonergan's gloves.
Eight minutes before the interval, a Wallace corner from the right found Billy Jones in the middle, his header on target but blocked by an Ipswich defender.
Things livened up in the early stages of the second half after the opening 45 minutes which could best be described as drab.
In the 49th minute, former PNE loanee Tamas Priskin found himself clear on goal in the box but blazed over the bar.
Then 10 minutes into the second half, Priskin rose to head home a Jack Colbak free-kick, but the effort was disallowed for offside.
Lonergan's resulting free-kick set Mellor away to run half the length of the pitch, round the keeper and score.
But referee Jon Moss pulled back play, ruling Lonergan had taken the free-kick with the ball still moving.
PNE took a 64th minute lead, Collins stealing in front of the Town defence to head in a right-wing cross from Richard Chaplow.
Wallace almost doubled the lead six minutes later, whipping a 25-yard free-kick inches wide of the post.
The victory was made safe in the 84th minute through Welbeck's delightful finish, a real piece of class.
Substitute Jon Parkin picked him out with a pass on the edge of his box, Welbeck doing the rest with a lovely chip over keeper Arran Lee-Barrett.
Nolan replacing Callum Davidson was the only change made to the North End side.
Davidson was knocked unconscious in the midweek win at Peterborough, Sean St Ledger taking over the captain's armband.
Nolan hadn't made the squad for the previous two games but was the obvious choice to replace Davidson having filled in at left-back for a number of matches earlier in the campaign.
Otherwise Darren Ferguson kept faith with the other 17 players who were on the team sheet in the 1-0 win over Posh.
PNE: Lonergan, Hart, St Ledger, Mawene, Nolan, Mellor, Chaplow, Jones, Wallace, Brown, Welbeck. Subs: Parkin, Carter, Mayor, Barton, Chilvers, Collins, Henderson.
Ipswich: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, McAuley, Delaney, Balkestein, Peters, Leadbitter, Colback, Norris, Priskin, Stead. Subs: Wright, Garvan, Quinn, John, Counago, Edwards, McLoughlin.
Referee: Jon Moss (West Yorkshire).
Attendance: 12,087.
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
