Memory match: Home comforts for Preston North End against Hull City

Preston’s hangover from losing in the 2005 play-off final was strangely felt more painfully at Deepdale than on their travels in the first half of the following season.
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It took them until November 1 – their ninth league home game – to win in front of the home faithful. Victory came against Hull City in a midweek game and it was done in style in a 3-0 victory.

They rattled all the goals into the Tigers’ net in the space of 17 minutes in the second half. Until that evening, Billy Davies men couldn’t do a thing right at home. The previous eight home games had seen six draws and two defeats, with only three goals scored.

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On the road they had done fine, winning three times at Watford, Ipswich and Millwall, as well as drawing at Wolves and Cardiff.

PNE celebrate after Jones’ goal in the 3-0 victory against Hull City on November 1, 2005PNE celebrate after Jones’ goal in the 3-0 victory against Hull City on November 1, 2005
PNE celebrate after Jones’ goal in the 3-0 victory against Hull City on November 1, 2005

Four days before beating Hull, they had served up a turgid 0-0 draw against Leicester which hadn’t gone down well with the supporters. So this three-goal show was very much redemption and came as a huge relief to fans, players and coaching staff alike.

Two loan players set the ball rolling, Jemal Johnson and David Jones netting goals one and two.

Paul McKenna hit the third, that the best of the lot from more than 25 yards.

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Johnson was on loan from Blackburn Rovers, this one of three games the young striker played in a PNE shirt before returning to Ewood Park.

He partnered Patrick Agyemang up front, while there was a welcome appearance from the bench later on for David Nugent who had been out ill for a few weeks.

Midfielder Jones had been borrowed from Manchester United, his stay a longer one and covering the first half of the 2005/06 season.

North End bossed the match from the word go, Jones forcing Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill into a diving save in the fourth minute.’

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Myhill saved again from Chris Sedgwick, his best save of the lot coming in the 26th minute to tip Jones’ glancing header behind.

Just before half-time, Johnson’s shot beat the keeper but hit the post, Sedgwick’s follow-up cleared off the line.

The Hull goal lived a charmed life until the 59th minute when PNE made the breakthrough. Chris Lucketti played a ball over the top of the Tigers defence for Johnson to run on to.

Johnson took it into the box, checked on to his left foot, before shooting past Myhill.

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The roar from the crowd and Johnson’s celebrations were a show of relief as much as anything.

North End doubled their advantage with 73 minutes on the clock.

Jones got the ball 25 yards out, took aim and hit a low left-foot shot which bounced off the inside of one post, rolled across and hit the other before going over the line.

The best was still to come, McKenna scoring PNE’s third goal three minutes later.

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Collecting possession more than 25 yards out, he let fly with a right-foot rocket shot which flew into the top corner.

Substitute Dave Hibbert was later to have a goal disallowed as North End refused to take their foot off the gas and pushed for more.

They settled for three in the end, putting a smile on the face of PNE manager Davies.

He said: “We played on the front foot from the start and that made all the difference.

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“In this game we showed what we are capable of, we played some lovely football, created some good chances and scored three lovely goals.”

This win over Hull formed part of a 22-game unbeaten run in the league.

North End had drawn their previous five, with victory pushing them on another notch.

They were not beaten until late February 2006 at Reading, the game after exiting the FA Cup to Middlesbrough – then a Premier League side.

That season, PNE made the play-offs but were 
beaten at the semi-final stage by Leeds, losing 3-1 on aggregate.