Preston North End 1-2 Blackburn Rovers as it happened: Defeat in the derby at Deepdale

Preston North End suffered their first defeat in five as Blackburn Rovers triumphed 1-2 in Friday night’s Lancashire derby.

Alfie Devine cancelled out Lewis Miller’s opener on the stroke of half time, but Andri Gudjohnsen headed the visitors back in front after the break - with what was ultimately the winning goal.

In the third minute, Thierry Small burst down the left flank and found Lewis Dobbin in a decent position 10 yards from goal, but Aynsley Pears saved at his near post. From the resulting corner which was sent in by Devine, Liam Lindsay rose highest and headed with power but it was over the bar.

The visitors’ first big chance came on 15 minutes when Ryan Alebiosu delivered an inviting cross from the right but Gudjohnsen’s flicked effort was high and wide. Devine then struck a venomous effort towards goal on 22 minutes but it was charged down by Sean McLoughlin, leading to the two colliding and the latter needing treatment.

Yuki Ohashi saw his low drive deflect behind for a corner off the boot of Jordan Storey just before the half hour mark, on which PNE had their best chances of the half up to that point. Michael Smith got on the end of a cross and his low effort was kept out by Pears, who made a superb follow-up save to deny Andrew Hughes, before Rovers’ debutant George Pratt blocked Jordan Storey’s stab at goal.

Daniel Iversen was alert to two long-range Blackburn efforts late on, with McLoughlin and Ryoya Morishita’s 25-yard drives being well saved by the Dane. The game opened up in the final stages of the first half, with the visitors growing into the game and getting ahead through a bullet Miller header.

PNE’s response, though, was immediate: merely a minute after falling behind, they were back on level terms when Lewis Dobbin picked out Devine who surged towards goal before sliding the ball past Pears six yards from goal, with Rovers’ captain McLoughlin failing to hook it clear on the line. The Spurs loanee celebrated in front of the stunned travelling fans.

Rovers started the stronger of the two sides in the second half and drew another save from Iversen, this time Ohashi stung the shot-stopper’s palms. Blackburn then regained the lead in the 62nd minute through Gudjohnsen. Morishita swung in a free kick and the Icelandic forward beat his marker and headed home at the back stick.

It could have been three moments later as Ohashi launched a ferocious effort from the edge of the 18-yard box but Iversen tipped it behind. Devine tried to get his and PNE’s second with an acrobatic volley inside the box but it sailed over the bar.

Pears had a nervy moment in the 82nd minute as he just about managed to tip the ball over the bar and away from danger after an Odel Offiah cross deceived him and the Blackburn defence. North End ramped up the pressure in the final 10 minutes but a leveller was looking increasingly unlikely.

Blackburn substitute Makhtar Gueye headed over from a dangerous cross as the clock ticked into stoppage time, before Ohashi’s strike flew past the face of goal two minutes later. PNE were frustrated by a stubborn Blackburn backline and subsequently fell to just their second home league defeat of the campaign.

Attendance: 21,635. Preston North End starting XI: Iversen; Storey (Lewis 70’), Lindsay, Hughes, Offiah, Whiteman (c), Thordarson (Frokjaer 57’), Small, Devine, Dobbin (Jebbison 57’), Smith. Preston North End unused subs: Walton, Nolan, Valentin, Thompson, Mawene, Keane.