Preston North End's key statistics of the season - who did what in 2019/20

Not since May 1981 had PNE finished a regular season with a midweek game.

The statistics show that Alex Neil’s men ended this season five places and five points better off than in the last campaign, but still short of the play-offs.

They boasted their best league record at Deepdale since returning to the Championship with 12 wins.

You have to go back to the 2014/15 promotion season from League One to find more home wins – 13.

North End competed the ‘double’ over six teams this campaign, beating Wigan, Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton, Barnsley and Birmingham home and away.

With the boot on the other foot, five clubs did the double over PNE – Millwall, Reading, West Bromwich Albion, QPR and Derby.

The Lilywhites biggest win was the 5-1 victory over Barnsley at Deepdale in October, their heaviest loss the 4-0 defeat at Hull City the following month.

Declan Rudd was the only ever-present in the league for North End, something he also achieved in 2013/14 when on loan from Norwich.

In terms of starts, Patrick Bauer was the outfield player to make the most – 41.

Ben Pearson was next with 38 starts, then Ben Davies and Sean Maguire with 36 starts each.

Maguire featured in 44 of the 46 league games, with him coming off the bench a further eight times.

Tom Barkhuizen also played in 44 games, 35 starts and nine as a substitute.

Top scorer was Daniel Johnson with 12 goals, six of them penalties.

Barkhuizen was next with nine league goals, then Paul Gallagher with six.

Maguire and Josh Harrop both finished with five Championship goals, Jayden Stockley netting four.

In league action, 15 players found the net for PNE. Goals for Paul Huntington and Andre Green in the Carabao Cup took that figure up to 17 in all competitions.

Alex Neil used 26 of his squad in Championship games.