Memory match: Paul Gallagher's delivery was key in Preston North End's 3-1 win over Huddersfield in October 2016

The midfielder set up the first two goals for Tom Clarke and Alex Baptiste, then scored a fine free-kick himself for the third goal.

It was a fourth home win on the bounce for North End and extended their unbeaten run to six matches.

This was the season the Terriers went on to win promotion to the Premier League, so victory in this manner over David Wagner’s outfit was no mean feat.

PNE deserved their win, pressing the visitors high up the pitch and preventing them playing their normal passing game from the back.

The Yorkshiremen’s only joy of the night was a late goal was Nahki Wells which gave the scoreline a touch more of respectability.

The contest was less than six minutes old when Preston took the lead, a foul on Callum Robinson seeing them awarded a free-kick down the left channel.

Gallagher whipped it into the box right-footed, Clarke rising to guide a header past goalkeeper Danny Ward from seven yards.

The skipper’s celebrations were somewhat muted, the goal coming against the club he joined at the age of eight and only left when he signed for PNE in 2013.

Another Gallagher free-kick produced a chance for Jordan Hugill, the striker’s header tipped over the bar by Ward.

The resulting corner was only partly dealt with by the visitors’ defence, the ball falling to Clarke whose low drive was held at the second attempt by Ward as Hugill closed in.

Preston stretched the lead three minutes before the interval, winning a free-kick on the right-hand side, five yards into their half.

Gallagher played it short to Johnson who returned it into Gallagher’s path further up the right-hand channel.

He played a superb cross into the middle which Baptiste met six yards out with a powerful header into the roof of the net.

The visitors made a double change at the interval, Wells and former PNE loan striker Harry Bunn replacing Rajiv Van La Parra and Elias Kachunga.

Huddersfield had the first chance of the second half, Jack Payne’s free-kick clearing Chris Maxwell’s bar by a few inches.

But it was PNE who surged further ahead in the 53rd minute, that man Gallagher at the heart of it again.

A foul on Hugill by Mark Hudson – one which earned the Town skipper a yellow card –gave the hosts a free-kick on the left wing.

Gallagher kept it low, bending the ball into the middle and seeing it travel across the box and into the net at the far post.

The PNE players went straight over to congratulate Gallagher, a sign that no one else had got a touch on the ball on its way in.

Huddersfield pressed for a route back into the game, a Bunn shot beaten out by Maxwell, while Smith’s drive from distance touched off Clarke and went behind for a corner.

Maxwell got fingertips to take an Aaron Mooy shot past the far post.

Nine minutes from time, Huddersfield cut the deficit when Payne’s free-kick to the far post was headed into the middle by Christopher Schindler for Wells to nod home.

Any further threat was snuffed out by North End in the closing stages as they saw out the game comfortably to claim a deserved win.

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