Preston North End 1-2 Getafe: Ryan Lowe's men edged out by La Liga side in the Alicante sun

Ryan Ledson gave the home side the lead before a double from Gaston Alvarez Soza gave Getafe the win.

North End started with a slight change in system, more of a 3-4-2-1 rather than a 3-5-2 as is the norm for Ryan Lowe’s side.

New man Ben Woodburn was deployed alongside Daniel Johnson in behind Emil Riis.

PNE got off to a fast start, Robbie Brady exchanging a short corner with Johnson before delivering an inviting ball in towards the far post where Liam Lindsay got a foot to it before Hughes turned it into the net after two minutes.

They nearly doubled their lead three minutes later from a similar source, Brady’s cross from the left this time finding Brad Potts forward from right wing back but he volleyed over the bar.

Getafe had their first chance of the game 14 minutes into the match, a free-kick into the area came out to Jaimne Seoane who could not keep his effort down.

It would be 10 more minutes before the next chance in the contest, and again it fell to Getafe. A ball in behind Carles Alena was released in behind the PNE backline but Lindsay made up the ground to stop him in his tracks at the right moment, inside the area.

There was a coming together midway through the half as tensions rose, Brady’s late challenge drawing the ire of a handful of Getafe players, which Ryan Ledson and his PNE teammates took exception to.

A drinks break during the stoppage cooled things down but Brady was booked for his part in it just past half an hour.

Six minutes before the break the Spaniards had another effort on goal, Alena firing low but the power was lacking and Freddie Woodman was able to drop on the ball.

There was still time for more confrontations, Ben Whiteman was booked for a tackle in midfield and then just a couple of minutes later, into first half stoppage time, Gaston Alvarez Sosa was booked for Getafe.

The second half was less eventful, as North End seemed to struggle in the heat with them tiring around the hour mark, whilst the Spaniards kept on going.

Hughes was booked early on in the second period, giving away a free kick on the edge of the box. Getafe made him pay, Portu’s low free kick blocked, and the follow up, before it fell to Sosa to net his first of the match, slamming the ball into the net.

More bookings followed, with Damian Suarez the next man into the book, ten minutes into the second half.

There were nine changes on the hour, only Ben Woodburn and Ben Whiteman surviving.

Two minutes later Getafe struck the post, Sabit Abdulai rising to head it at goal but only finding the foot of the woodwork

Getafe took the lead however after 84 minutes, Sosa getting his second of the game. The corner came in from the left wing and Sosa rose highest to crash the ball home.

Just four minutes from the end North End had the ball in the back of the net but it was in vain, as Alan Browne was flagged for offside.

He finished off an excellent move as Dana Amaral won the ball back, Ali McCann switched it to Lewis Coulton and his measured cross found the skipper. Browne took a touch around the keeper and backheeled it into the net.

The game ended in defeat to North End but the day as a whole was a resounding victory for the Lilywhites as the players and staff all joined the supporters for a collective photo, an excellent commemoration for the match.

PNE: Woodman (Cornell, 60’), Storey (Diary, 60’), Lindsay (Bauer, 60’), Hughes (Cunningham, 60’), Potts (Olosunde, 60’), Whiteman (Amaral, 73’), Ledson (Browne, 60’), Johnson (McCann, 60’), Woodburn (O’Neill, 73’), Brady (Coulton, 60’), Riis (Evans, 60’).