Preston North End 4-1 Huddersfield Town as Milutin Osmajic scores SEVEN MINUTE hat-trick
The Lilywhites headed into the game still just about in the play-off hunt, but the stakes were arguably higher for survival scrapping Huddersfield - who headed to Deepdale on the back of a massive win against Millwall. The Terriers were backed by around two thousand away fans and you could feel, inside Deepdale, the importance of the game to the visitors. Needless to say, North End would need to be at the races.
Hopes of a top six finish had faded, with one point picked up from the trips to Birmingham City and Watford. And PNE's first half performance did little to get the home faithful engaged - Will Keane and Robbie Brady's strikes, from distance, were the only efforts of note. Meanwhile, an organised Huddersfield had had some encouragement on the break and it was they who hit the front - three minutes before the interval. After several shots were blocked by white shirts, inside the box, Josh Koroma latched on to the loose ball before turning and finishing in ruthless fashion.
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Hide AdPNE had 45 minutes to save their season, effectively, as the second half got under way. And under the Deepdale floodlights, engaging the home support would go a long way to completing any comeback job. So, Will Keane going to ground - under the challenge of Alex Matos inside the box - and winning a penalty, was the ideal start for Lowe's side. Up stepped Keane, to roll home his 13th goal of the season and level the game, from the spot.
North End undoubtedly improved in the second half, as is often the case when kicking towards the Alan Kelly Town End. Lee Nicholls was called into action twice, to deny former Huddersfield man, Duane Holmes before Ali McCann saw his crisp volley held. And when Keane was denied a second penalty, not long from time, you could forgive anyone for feeling like the game was drifting towards a draw.
But that did nothing for Preston, who simply had to keep going and did just that. Lowe turned to his bench with 15 minutes to go, introducing Alan Browne and Milutin Osmajic. If there is one thing the latter likes a lot, it is scoring in front of the Town End. The Montenegrin sensed the opportunity to be, not only a match winner, but season saver too. Up he popped, to convert Holmes' low cross on 84 minutes.
Through he ran, to slot home after Browne's ball in behind. And there he arrived, to slam home from Frokjaer's low cross. A truly incredible impact from the substitute, to secure a box office comeback win, under the Deepdale lights. North End are back there on Saturday - and boy is it a big one, now.
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Hide AdAttendance: 14,698 PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham, Brady, McCann, Holmes (Mawene 90'), Hughes (Browne 76'), Frokjaer, Keane (Stewart 90'), Riis (Osmajic 76') PNE unused subs: Cornell, Whatmough, Best, Woodburn, Evans.
Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town LIVE
69' Fizzed wide (1-1)
Some tidy enough combination play from PNE inside the Huddersfield half, results in Frokjaer’s snapshot swerving wide after Keane played it through to him.
Sub for Huddersfield now, as Matos makes way for Healey.
66' Header saved (1-1)
Cunningham meets the PNE corner at the back post but his bouncing effort is watched all the way, and caught, by Nicholls. Frokjaer then tries a give-and-go with Brady, but the latter is not on the same wave length and the cut-back is cleared.
55' Cut out crucially (1-1)
Frokjaer loses the ball on half-way, but McCann wins it back for him and the Dane almost splits the Huddersfield defence - with a pass in search of Keane. There’s a vital slide challenge to cut it out and the corner comes to nothing, in the end.
GOAL! PNE 1-1 Huddersfield Town
Cool as you like from Keane, who steps up and places his penalty into the bottom right corner - sending Nicholls the wrong way.
49' Flag up (0-1)
Good opportunity for Frokjaer to play Riis in behind, but his fellow Dane goes slightly too early.
Around the grounds
Millwall 0-0 Leicester
Plymouth 0-0 QPR
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Norwich
Southampton 2-0 Coventry
Leeds 0-0 Sunderland (33’)
HT: PNE 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Koroma’s tidy finish has Huddersfield ahead at the break. Big improvement needed from PNE.
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