Derby County 0 Preston North End 1 - Match report as Alan Browne's late stunner delivers victory at Pride Park

Preston North End left it late to beat 10-man Derby County at Pride Park but it was worth the wait.
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Alan Browne curled home a beauty of a winner in the sixth minute of stoppage-time to break the deadlock, deliver three points and end the Rams' unbeaten run under caretaker manager Wayne Rooney.

The contest seemed on course to finish goalless which would have frustrated PNE no end, due to the fact they had been up against 10 men for 70 minutes of the clash.

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Derby frontman Martyn Waghorn saw red in the 20th minute for a dreadful challenge on Browne which was late and high, leaving referee Darren Bond with little choice but to pull out a straight red card.

The Preston North End players celebrate Alan Browne's late winner against Derby County at Pride ParkThe Preston North End players celebrate Alan Browne's late winner against Derby County at Pride Park
The Preston North End players celebrate Alan Browne's late winner against Derby County at Pride Park

But after initially looking better against the 10 men, they failed to take advantage of the extra man for long spells of the second half.

That was until Browne conjured up that late bit of quality to clinch the three points in style.

It's two wins on the bounce now, both with clean sheets, a good response to those disappointing away defeats to Luton and Barnsley.

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An unchanged North End side had taken their time to settle in the opening stages, Derby having the better of the early play.

Alan Browne (right) curls home PNE's 96th minute winnerAlan Browne (right) curls home PNE's 96th minute winner
Alan Browne (right) curls home PNE's 96th minute winner

With six minutes gone, Graeme Shinnie's free-kick from the left found Waghorn in the box and his header cleared Declan Rudd's bar.

PNE's first sight of goal came after quarter of an hour, Scott Sinclair's pass playing Josh Earl into space on the left.

Early cut inside along the byline and cut the ball back to Maguire, the striker's shot blocked at close quarters by Matt Clarke.

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The ball broke loose to Paul Gallagher who lifted a first-time shot over the bar when really he should have kept it on target.

PNE left-back Josh Earl sees a shot saved at the far post against DerbyPNE left-back Josh Earl sees a shot saved at the far post against Derby
PNE left-back Josh Earl sees a shot saved at the far post against Derby

Waghorn's red card came in the 20th minute, his challenge on Browne close to the half-way line catching the Irishman above the ankle.

It went over the ball and unnecessarily so bearing in mind where on the pitch they were.

Mr Bond had the red card out of his pocket very quickly, no doubt in his mind that Waghorn had been reckless.

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For a short spell after the dismissal, North End's play was ragged and Derby were on top.

Steadily though, the visitors began to see more of the ball with Gallagher pulling the strings sat in a deep midfield role just in front of the centre-backs.

It was Gallagher's 37th minute free-kick from the right channel which found its way to the far post where Earl knocked the ball goalwards on the stretch but keeper David Marshall saved comfortably.

Two minutes into the second half, Daniel Johnson's run took him across the face of the box before he laid the ball into the path of Gallagher who swept a first-time shot over the bar.

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North End fashioned a great chance on the counter-attack in the 51st minute, led by Sinclair on the left.

His run took him past two challenges and well into the Derby half before his ball inside found Sean Maguire who in turn helped it across the pitch and into the path of Tom Barkhuizen.

The winger's shot at the far post was saved by Marshall who pushed it behind for a corner.

Maguire saw a shot taken into the side-netting by a deflection, Johnson's powerful run having created the opening.

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That proved to be Maguire's last contribution, him and Darnell Fisher giving way to Emil Riis and Jayden Stockley after an hour.

A second double change was made eight minutes later, Ryan Ledson and Tom Bayliss coming on for Gallagher and Sinclair.

Unfortunately the substitution of Sinclair was enforced, the winger pulling up after chasing a pass up the left-wing towards the corner flag.

To be fair, the substitutions made little impact, the 3-5-2 system North End switched to actually stifling their creativity rather than making them more of a threat.

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But just as it looked like it would finish goalless, Browne produced a stunning winner.

The contest was in the sixth minute of stoppage-time when the ball was worked along the floor, with Earl and Johnson linking up to work the ball out to Browne on the right hand side of the box.

Browne stepped inside and curled a beauty of a left-foot finish across the keeper into the far top corner - his second Boxing Day goal in a row.

Derby: Marshall, Byrne, Wisdom, Clarke, Buchanan, Shinnie, Bielik, Jozwiak (Sibley 85), Knight, Waghorn, Kazim-Richards (Hector-Ingram 90). Subs (not used): Roos, Forsyth, Bird, Ibe, Evans, Holmes, Watson, .

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PNE: Rudd, Fisher (Stockley 60), Huntington, Davies, Earl, Browne, Gallagher (Ledson 68) Barkhuizen (Harrop 81), Johnson, Sinclair (Bayliss 68), Maguire (Riis 60). Subs (not used): Ripley, Storey, Rafferty, O'Reilly.

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire)

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