Hull City 0 Preston North End 1 match report: Aston Villa loanee Cameron Archer nets PNE's winner

The young Aston Villa loanee swept home a fine cross from Ben Whiteman in the 52nd minute for the only goal in the clash on Humberside.

Archer showed a fine touch to bring the ball down before shooting low into the net at the end of the ground where PNE's 1,700 travelling fans were massed.

He'd twice gone close to finding the net in the first half, seeing a shot well saved by Tigers keeper Matt Ingram and soon after, hitting the post.

Andrew Hughes also hit the woodwork for North End in an enthralling first half.

It wasn't all PNE though, it needing two fine saves from Daniel Iversen in that first period to keep the home side out.

Once Archer scored, the Lilywhites were content to sit behind the ball more and defend their lead, something they did well - Iversen only having one save to make late on.

It had taken North End 15 minutes or so to get involved in the game and once they did, the first half was a cracker.

Hull had the better of the opening exchanges, going close in the third minute when George Honeyman's corner was met beyond the far post by Di'Shon Bernard.

His header deflected off Patrick Bauer and forced Iversen to make a fine save, diving across goal to his right to claw away.

Brad Potts saw a shot blocked by Brandon Fleming after PNE had worked the ball across the pitch from the left, Ali McCann's fine slide-rule pass down the side setting the move in motion.

They hit the woodwork for the first time in the 24th minute, Bauer's header across goal after a corner looking to have teed-up Archer.

The ball came the way of Hughes whose header came back off the bar, Emil Riis' follow-up blocked on the line.

Hull went straight down the other end and only a superb Iversen save prevented them going in front.

Keane Lewis-Potter's cross on the run from the left channel picked out the run of Tom Eaves who met it with a powerful header from six yards.

Iversen managed to stretched out his right leg, the ball striking his thigh at point-blank range.

Twice in the space of sixty seconds Archer was so close to giving Preston the lead.

In the 38th minute, the Villa man intercepted a pass as Hull attempted to play out from the back.

Archer slipped a pass to Riis on the edge of the box, took the return ball, before hitting a low left-foot shot which Ingram stretched out his left foot to block.

It was the post which denied Archer soon after, with him holding off the challenge of Sean McLoughlin on the edge of the 'D' before shooting low, the ball beating Ingram and hitting the foot of the post.

PNE had the ball in the net with three minutes of the second half played but saw it chalked off.

A ball in the left found Browne who brought it down and hammered a shot into the roof of the net. Referee Darren Bond signalled he had seen a handball and disallowed it.

They weren't to be denied in the 52nd minute though, taking the lead in some style.

A clearance out of the Hull box during a spell of Preston pressure was intercepted, Ben Whiteman lifting a lovely ball back into the middle which Archer brought down and dispatched a low finish past Ingram.

Hull thought they had levelled when Eaves slid in at the far post to touch home a cross from the right but the flag went up for offside.

Ryan Lowe made his first substitution after an hour, bringing on Ched Evans for Riis. A second change seven minutes later was enforced by injury, Brad Potts going off and replaced by Daniel Johnson.

That necessitated McCann to move to right wing-back, with Johnson slotting in midfield next to skipper Browne.

Hull: Ingram, Bernard (Jones 68), McLoughlin, Graves, Longman (Forss 54), Smallwood (Allahyar 84), Docherty, Fleming, Honeyman, Lewis-Potter, Eaves. Subs: Cartwright, Huddlestone, Slater, Walsh.

PNE: Iversen, Van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes, Whiteman, Potts (Johnson 67), Browne, McCann, Cunningham, Archer (Ledson 87), Riis (Evans 60). Subs: Ripley, Lindsay, Earl, Sinclair.

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire)