Paul Heckingbottom delighted with Preston North End players in 1-0 win over Luton Town

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PNE beat Luton Town 1-0 in Paul Heckingbottom’s first match as manager

Paul Heckingbottom hailed his Preston North End players for their effort and game plan execution, in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Luton Town.

The 47-year-old had three days to prepare the Lilywhites for their first match under him, with the relegated Hatters standing in PNE’s way. In the end, Will Keane’s precise 39th minute strike proved enough for a battling North End to clinch their first points of the 2024/25 campaign.

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Post-match, Heckingbottom said: “I have been looking forward to it since Sunday night. It is the bit I enjoy the most, nothing can replicate it for me. I am delighted to be on the touchline again, watching the team perform. I am pleased. The result is the be-all-and-end-all, but everyone has been so welcoming, the players prepared properly and they’ve responded great. It had been a good few days leading up to this and, as good as Luton are, I felt it would’ve been unfair if they’d nicked a goal late on.

“We would’ve liked to (kill the game) and that is the difference. It is the quality of chance. Stats don’t always reflect everything. In context, they are really powerful and good. It was important, with Luton stepping on to us and going man-for-man, that we did exploit that space and get opportunities - which we did. But, like you say, it has not gone down as a shot, but a little bit better detail on the pass and it is a goal. No xG is reflected, but if that pass gets there it is probably a high xG chance.

“That is what we want to do, create good chances. We needed to get the messages across about what wasn’t going to change and what we’ll stand for, so before the game it was about us, the start of a new team and what type of team we are going to be. I asked the players to be brave and take the ball. As the game got tougher and harder, you do naturally go into your shell a bit - and I expected it. But, before that we took the ball, tried to pass it and tried to create those chances.

“Without the ball, it is a given. We want to be compact and I’ve always enjoyed teams I’ve coached and managed, who’ve been really aggressive without the ball. Some of our best opportunities in the first half were from high regains. I would love us to be right up there, statistically, in terms of chances from regains in the opposition’s half. It is a great way, because you are not having to bypass players. I just like the mentality of it and noise and atmosphere it brings.

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“When I worked with (Liam Lindsay), I thought he was one of the best centre-backs in the league. I know what he can do. I thought he was pushed close by the other centre-backs (for MOTM). I said that it’s easier to perform that way, when the boys in front are doing the leg work and making it more predictable for you. If Luton were able to cut through us and open us up, with time on the ball behind our midfield, then it is a much tougher job as a centre-back. The boys in front allowed them to be really aggressive.

“We talk about being aggressive off the ball, but we tried to do it with a lot of attacking players on the pitch - Emil, Keano and two of our three midfielders in Stefan and Mads. Kaine’s pace was important against Ogbene. I was ringing around about Kaine, because he is someone I’ve seen play, but someone I didn’t know a lot about. Macca watched him play left wing-back against Leeds, that type of thing. I know he has got the attributes, but I didn’t know him as well as the others. I thought he was excellent.

“The goal was really satisfying. I was really pleased with them and it’s things like that you want to emphasise them. We have got good players here, that is one thing I have seen. I sort of knew that - they are good, established Championship players who’ve played a lot of games. Mads and Stefan, the lads I don’t know as much about, played at a good level and are technically very good. So, for me, it is something we want to emphasise and build on.”

On the home fans, he added: “I thought they were great. The best way to sum it up... when I am on the touchline during a game, I don’t tend to notice anything away from the white lines. They made me lose focus and I did catch the noise and songs. It caught my attention, which doesn’t usually happen. So, I gave them a little clap back and that’s important. That is what we want and what we want to see. Usually, you are doing something right when you can make that happen.”

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“One thing I am aware of is that you don’t come in if things have been brilliant. I think there had been a hangover from last season and a bit of negativity around the place. It is difficult to express, but me and Macca are unaware of that. It is not something I bring, so it’s been trying to get people to shed that with everyone I’ve met, since I took the job.

“It is gone. It is new and it is different. Watching the team last season, it has not been a strength creating chances. We know that, so it’s something we want to address. So many other good things have gone on, which we want to build on. So yeah, it’s always something that’s strange when you walk in. But, it’s done, it’s forgotten and we are moving forward. It is what we do from now on.”

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