Preston North End 1-3 Bristol City: Eissat and Ballard score late on in fourth straight defeat
Another loss for PNE.
Preston North End were defeated 3-1 by Bristol City at Deepdale on Tuesday night.
Bristol City took an early lead as Scott Twine fired the ball home from six yards. Caleb Wiley equalised on 51 minutes in style with a thumping 25-yard effort on his full debut. Despite a much improved performance in forward areas, the visitors proved more clinical and Lisav Eissat and Dom Ballard scored second-half goals, meaning PNE start the campaign with four straight defeats and are bottom of the league.
With four minutes gone, the Robins went ahead after some nice play down the left. Lorent Tolaj aimed cross across the goalmouth to Scott Twine who tapped it in from close quarters.
Soon after, Liam Lindsay sent in a high cross for Jusef Erabi, but the on-loan Genk striker’s effort was well wide of the goal. Midway through the half, North End had two great opportunities to equalise.
Firstly, Jordan Thompson hit a peach of a free kick from 20 yards out which needed a strong save from Sam Tickle, before Wiley’s header at the back post crashed against the woodwork following a superb ball in from Léo Leroy.
Thompson had another go from range on 35 minutes before Rob Dickie and Erabi forced routine saves out of Daniel Iversen and Tickle respectively. Leroy fired an effort wide with moments to go until the half time break.
Wiley struck an incredible effort on 51 minutes to level the scoreline, with a superb strike from 25 yards that glided into the bottom corner. Tickle was forced into a save just moments after when Erabi directed a glancing header towards goal.
Leroy hit the post on 67 minutes from 20 yards before Tolaj forced a smart save from Iversen at his near post. Lang saw a point-blank header blocked a couple of miniutes later.
Bristol City re-took the lead on 78 minutes. Rio Cardines sent in a free kick and Eissat got on the end of it, with a header into the far corner of Iversen’s net.
It was three for the Robins nine minutes later after a Liam Lindsay error allowed Dom Ballard to round Iversen and separate the teams by two goals.
Preston North End starting XI vs Bristol City: Iversen, Clarke, Gibson (c), Lindsay, Wiley (Vukcevic 67’), Thompson, Leroy, Mills (Small 90’), Devine (Moran 82’), Burgzorg, Erabi (Lang 67’). Unused subs: Nicholls, Valentin, Storey, Offiah, Gryba.