All the action from Deepdale as PNE host Charlton Athletic

Preston North End headed into the international break on a high after beating Charlton Athletic 2-0 at Deepdale.

The Addicks have made a strong start to life back in the Championship and always promised to provide an awkward opponent, in the final match before the international break. Nathan Jones made just one change to his side and showed the expected levels of organisation and commitment across the first 45 minutes.

Lewis Dobbin worked room well for a couple of shots, as did fellow loan man Harrison Armstrong, but Thomas Kaminski remained untroubled at the break. As did Preston shot-stopper Daniel Iversen, though the away side had grown into the contest and got into dangerous positions on more than one occasion.

Undoubtedly, Preston were in the game they will have anticipated. On the hour mark a glorious opportunity passed the Lilywhites’ by, when Ali McCann - who arrived unmarked - could only place his header straight at Thomas Kaminski from point blank range.

North End kept huffing and puffing, though, and with 67 minutes on the clock the moment Charlton dreaded came along. Dobbin kept the ball alive inside the box and found Thierry Small, who got his side-footed shot off and saw it loop over Kaminski and into the net; a passionate celebration followed.

Under Heckingbottom there haven’t been many comfortable final minutes but with 10 to go here, the points were wrapped up. Daniel Jebbison hadn’t had much goal mouth action but the Canadian’s persistence paid off, as substitute Alfie Devine rolled the ball across for him to smash home from close range.

Attendance: 14,991 PNE starting XI: Iversen; Storey, Gibson, Hughes, Small (Offiah 88’), Whiteman (c), McCann, Vukcevic (Lindsay 77’), Armstrong, Dobbin (Devine 77’), Jebbison (Smith 81’) PNE unused subs: Walton, Thordarson, Frokjaer, Gryba, Osmajic.