Preston North End in Numbers: League Cup success up there with the best

The 4-0 victory against the Bantams at Valley Parade came courtesy of goals from Andre Green, Tom Barkhuizen (2) and sub Josh Harrop.

It was the joint-second best winning margin for PNE in the competition.

Nine years ago, North End won 5-0 at Stockport County at the first-round stage.

That was the night Bailey Wright made his first-team debut and Doyle Middleton became the club’s youngest player in a senior match.

Back in 2004, Preston won 4-0 against Mansfield at Field Mill, again in the first round.

The game was played a couple of weeks later than scheduled, a fire near to Field Mill seeing the original game postponed on safety grounds.

Who was in the Stags side beaten by the Lilywhites that night? None other than North End boss Alex Neil.

Preston’s early rounds record over the last decade in the League Cup has been pretty consistent.

Only once in the last 10 years have they failed to get past the first round, that was in 2017 when they lost 3-2 to Accrington Stanley.

But the furthest they have gone in that decade is the fourth round in 2016.

They beat Hartlepool 1-0, Oldham 2-0 and Premier League side Bournemouth 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Simon Makienok.

However, things went wrong in the next round when they were hammered 6-0 by Newcastle United at St James’ Park – Alan Browne sent off in the first half.

Last year, PNE reached the third round but lost to Middlesbrough on penalties.