Huddersfield Town 0-1 Preston North End - Match report as Cunningham is the hero as North End get back to winning ways

Greg Cunningham scored the only goal of the game as he headed home from a corner in the second half to send North End up to eight and just two points outside the play-off places.

PNE manager Ryan Lowe made four changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Stoke City at the weekend, with Cunningham, Brad Potts, Ryan Ledson and Ben Woodburn all coming into the starting XI in place of Bambo Diaby, Alan Browne, Robbie Brady and Sean Maguire.

They also set up in a 3-4-2-1 system in the same way that they did in the 4-1 Carabao Cup win in August.

The home side had the first chance of the evening however, David Kasuma crossing from the left side for Danny Ward to head over from close range after eight minutes.

North End's first chance came through a productive pair from their last visit to the John Smith's Stadium, as Alvaro Fernandez picked out Ali McCann. The midfielder's header was lacking in power however and was easy for Lee Nicholls to keep hold of after 14 minutes.

In a half lacking in quality from both sides, it took 28 minutes for anything else of note to take place. North End worked it well down the right side, Potts presenting the ball to Emil Riis in the area who blasted towards goal though the shot was blocked.

Referee Andy Woolmer pulled it back for a foul on Potts at the corner of the 18 yard box which Alvaro Fernandez took low looking for the far corner but it went narrowly past the woodwork, with no one in yellow able to tap the ball in.

Fernandez was the next man to test Nicholls, his strike from a tight angle coming in first half added time but beaten away.

North End started the second half better than they ended the first and they got their rewards five minutes in. Ben Whiteman's corner from the left arched towards the far post where Cunningham rose to head home, directly in front of over 1,400 travelling fans.

The visitors kept up their attacking intent as Ben Woodburn played a ball over the top for the run of Brad Potts, the wing back crossing for Emil Riis whose shot was blocked behind on 58 minutes.

After 65 minutes PNE continued to cause a problem from set pieces, Whiteman's free kick resulting in pinball inside the Terriers box with Woodburn slicing over on the volley.

On 81 minutes it should have been 2-0 to PNE as Riis got the better of his marker and stood a wonderful cross up to the far post, Fernandez met it on the volley with Nicholls scrambling but the Spaniard failed to hit the target.

Duane Holmes tried his luck from the edge of the box on the volley with three minutes to go but he could not keep his effort down.

It was the last chance for the home side, Maguire seeing an effort blocked after coming off the bench thanks to a long kick forward from Freddie Woodman with just seconds to go the set piece meaning North End could see the game out.

PNE Starting XI: Woodman, Storey, Hughes, Cunningham, Potts, Whiteman, Ledson, Fernandez (Maguire, 90+1'), McCann, Woodburn (Brady, 66'), Riis.

PNE subs not used: Cornell, Diaby, Browne, Evans, Cross-Adair.

Huddersfield Town Starting XI: Nicholls, Turton, Helik, Lees, Thomas, Kasumu (Rudoni, 71'), Holmes, Camara, Jackson, Ward, Rhodes.

Huddersfield Town subs not used: Bilokapic, Nakayama, Ruffels, Diarra, Mahoney, Ondo.