Paul Heckingbottom gets it right as Preston North End leave it all out there to beat Luton Town

Preston North End's Will Keane (ctr) celebrates Preston North End's Will Keane (ctr) celebrates
Preston North End's Will Keane (ctr) celebrates | CameraSport - Rich Linley
Will Keane scored the goal as PNE beat Luton Town 1-0 at Deepdale

Paul Heckingbottom had just three days of training to get Preston North End ready for the first match of his Deepdale tenure. The 47-year-old said all the right things in the days leading up to Saturday’s meeting with Luton Town and, as excitement built and kick-off eventually arrived, it was time for action. Heckingbottom wants to bring joy back and if those 90 minutes are a sign of things to come, it will not take him long to get the Lilywhites on track again - or endear himself to the Deepdale faithful.

The Hatters were always going to provide a tough test for the Lilywhites - Rob Edwards’ team were slick and physical on the back of a campaign in the top flight. Heckingbottom had pleaded for hard work though and the Lilywhites left it all out there for him, from minute one to 90. But there was more than that, here. As few changes as possible, to have the greatest impact, was the message in the PNE boss’ press conference on Tuesday morning.

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To go with the energy, aggression and commitment, there was a clear structure to how North End went about things on the pitch - after sessions of ‘conditioned’ training, to best prepare Preston for the way Luton would play. The greatest improvement and positive difference in PNE was their work out-of-possession, with it no coincidence they nicked the ball a couple of times in high areas. The Lilywhites looked extremely well drilled; there was clarity out there, on and off the ball. That was refreshing.

Luton were always there, always carrying a threat. But, every time Freddie Woodman’s net looked in danger of being breached, either he or someone in blue and white - probably a rampaging Liam Lindsay - was there. The big Scot was a deserved Man of the Match. Of course, North End did ride their luck at times, and Luton will probably feel they deserved something from the game. But, on the balance of play, and given the effort from and improvement in the hosts, this was a result which felt right. And, hopefully, the start of something exciting.

Deepdale boomed with noise as the closing stages approached, with the referee’s full time whistle a metaphorical weight lifted off North End’s shoulders. The first points and win of 2024/25 in the bag; a club very much looking to the future. A lovely goal to win it too - from the delicate flick of full debutant Kaine Kesler-Hayden, to Emil Riis’ precise pick-out and Will Keane’s pinpoint effort into the bottom corner. As far as ideal starts go, a 1-0 home win has to be right up there.

Attendance: 15,245 (1,333 away) PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Whiteman (c), Thordarson (Holmes 72’), Kesler-Hayden, Frokjaer (Ledson 63’), Keane (Greenwood 72’), Riis. PNE unused subs: Cornell, Whatmough, Bauer, Best, Okkels, Stewart.

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