As it happened: Preston North End 1-1 Birmingham City

Preston North End are back in action at Deepdale as they welcome Birmingham City to Lancashire.
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LIVE: PNE vs Birmingham City

Ryan Lowe explains changes to his backroom team

Ryan Lowe felt Preston North End’s coaching staff was a little ‘overcrowded’ hence the decision to let two coaches leave recently.

Steve Thompson and Jack Cudworth left the Lilywhites last week having held the roles of first-team coach and first-team development coach respectively.

PNE boss Lowe now leads a ‘core’ of first-team coaching staff which contains Mike Marsh, Paul Gallagher and Mike Pollitt.

Lowe told the Lancashire Post: “Thommo had a few personal things going on in his life which will remain private and confidential.

“I brought Marshy in while Gally and Polly were in, they are the main ones on the coaching staff.

“We’ve got the analysts, the fitness team and physios.

“Jack Cudworth, a lovely lad, was a development coach here having been a goalkeeper coach before that.

“We have moved the young lads he was working with back to the academy and they will be called up when needed.”

Read the full story here.

History on their side

PNE have lost only two of their last 16 games against Birmingham City, they have won nine and drawn five - having also drawn 0-0 earlier this season.

A chance for three in a row

Ryan Lowe has won his first two league games in charge of PNE, he has the chance to win his third today and would be the first to do so since Gary Peters in 1994.

PNE Starting XI: Iversen, van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes, Potts, Whiteman, Browne, Johnson, Cunningham, Riis, Evans.

PNE Subs: Ripley, Rafferty, Lindsay, McCann, Maguire, Barkhuizen, Sinclair.

Opportunity for Cunningham

Greg Cunningham gets the chance to show what he can do on the left side for PNE today, having played at centre half in the FA Cup tie with Cardiff.

Josh Earl, like Ryan Ledson, is injured and not involved today.

Lovely afternoon in Preston

It’s a rare occaison, but we have a lovely wintery afternoon at Deepdale.

Blue skies, not too cold and football to come!

We’re underway at Deepdale!

There are a couple of wifi issues at the moment so updates may come and go a litte...

Emil Riis lets fly from the corner of the 18 yard box but it smacks a Birimingham defender in the face and stays clear of the net... Ouch.

Ben Whiteman crosses from the right after a corner and Andrew Hughes has a free header in the centre just 10 yards out but his header glances just past the far post. It’s a chance he should be taking.