Bristol City 0 Preston North End 1 - Callum Robinson's goal delivers a first league away win for the Lilywhites

Preston North End collected their first Championship away victory of the season as they beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Callum Robinson celebrates giving Preston the lead at Bristol CityCallum Robinson celebrates giving Preston the lead at Bristol City
Callum Robinson celebrates giving Preston the lead at Bristol City

Callum Robinson's 35th minute goal settled this clash in the West Country, Robinson finishing-off a fine team move which had started in their own half.

It maintained North End's superb run against a Robins side over who they really hold the sign, this an 11th unbeaten game in a run against them.

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And it was a fifth successive win for them at Ashton Gate, a venue very much to their liking.

Preston manager Alex NeilPreston manager Alex Neil
Preston manager Alex Neil

Victory sent Alex Neil's men into the international break on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run stretching back to the start of October and moved them up to 18th place in the table.

North End were well worth the three points, with them looking strong on the counter-attack in the first half and carving-out some decent opportunities.

They had some defending to do late in the game as City searched for an equaliser but the only save Declan Rudd had to make was to push over an 82nd minute free-kick from Josh Brownhill.

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Rudd had replaced the suspended Chris Maxwell in goal while Paul Gallagher came into the midfield in place of Alan Browne, those the two changes to the side which had drawn 1-1 at Ipswich last Saturday.

Gallagher partnered Ben Pearson in the deeper midfield pairing, with Daniel Johnson pushing forward to play as the No.10 behind Sean Maguire.

On the bench there was a first inclusion in the matchday squad for goalkeeper Michael Crowe.

North End created a decent early opening as the lively Maguire got away down the left side and put over a low cross which evaded Johnson in the box but a matter of inches.

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The ball broke to Gallagher outside the box, his miscued shot falling to Tom Barkhuizen who couldn't direct it goalwards.

Maguire started and finished a move which saw the visitors go close in the ninth minute.

The Irishman's pass sent Robinson running through the hosts' half and towards the box.

When Robinson lifted a cross over to the far post, Maguire managed to get on the end of it but at full stretch could only loop a header goalwards which keeper Niki Maenpaa held under the bar.

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While both sides saw plenty of the ball, the bulk of the first-half chances were created by Preston.

Maguire's pass released Barkhuizen into space down the right, the winger moving into the box and trying his luck with a shot which Manpaa shovelled away at the near post - squaring the ball might have been Barkhuizen's better option.

North End took the lead in the 35th minute, the origins of the goal coming on the edge of their own box as they broke up a Robins attack.

The clearance found its way to Maguire just inside the home side's half on the left side.

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Maguire turned and fired a fine cross field ball out to Barkhuizen who set off on a run towards the box.

His cross was cleared into the path of Johnson who took the ball down the right hand side of the area and then crossed low to Robinson who side-footed home from six yards.

North End came close to doubling the lead inside the first two minutes of the second half.

Once again Maguire lead his side forward on the break down the left-wing before feeding a pass down the line to find Robinson.

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His low ball into the box was cleared by a defender's challenge off the foot of Barkhuizen, with Maguire's follow-up shot blocked in the six-yard box.

Gallagher tried his luck later with a chip from outside the box which cleared the bar, while Robinson got a shot on target and saw it blocked by defender Adam Webster.

Browne came off the bench to replace Gallagher in the 74th minute, Gallagher certainly having put in a hard-working shift in the engine room.

Rudd was called into action for the first time in the 82nd minute, diving to tip over a 25-yard free-kick from former PNE midfielder Brownhill.

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North End saw out six minutes of stoppage-time with some decent game management.

City: Maenpaa, Baker (Eliasson 55), Kalas, Webster, Hunt, Brownhill, Pack, Walsh (Paterson 55), Dasilva, Weimann, Diedhiou (Taylor 64). Subs (not used): O'Dowda, Kelly, Eisa, O'Leary.

PNE: Rudd, Clarrle, Huntington, Davies, Earl, Pearson, Gallagher (Browne 74), Barkhuizen, Johnson, Robinson, Maguire (Nmecha 83). Subs (not used): Fisher, Moult, Hughes, Barker, Crowe.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)

Attendance: 19,797 (566 PNE)