Defeat at The Hawthorns for Preston North End on New Year’s Day

Paul Heckingbottom's side were in good spirits as they headed to The Hawthorns for their first match of 2025. This has - that wonderful night after signing Cameron Archer aside - been a notoriously difficult venue for Preston North End teams to play. The hope though was that, on the back of successive league wins, PNE could go, compete and take something back up the road - five weeks on from drawing with the Baggies at Deepdale.

The drop of team news at two o'clock revealed a blow though, with Andrew Hughes absent through illness. PNE had missed the Welshman in their pre-Christmas defeat to Queens Park Rangers and his return to the team saw North End beat Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City. With the number 16 unavailable a start was handed to the returning Liam Lindsay at left centre-back.

Scrappy opening exchanges were played out in an uncharacteristically quiet Albion arena but the home side's wide threat was evident. And it was from there - with 18 minutes on the clock - Mikey Johnston drove, danced and dazzled both Jordan Storey and Jack Whatmough. His eventual low cross couldn't be cleared and Josh Maja was there to smash home from six yards.

A setback, but the following quarter-of-an-hour was reasonable from a Preston point of view - the visitors holding their own and having some moments in West Brom's half, without being overly threatening or fluent. On the 35th minute though any encouragement was completely wiped out. The Baggies' corner was sent to the edge of PNE's box and Callum Styles was allowed all the time in the world to run on to the cross and strike into the far corner.

There is a vulnerable, weak version of North End which rears its head every now and then - particularly away from home. Heckingbottom's task is to get rid of that or at least limit it from coming out. Sadly it was on full show here as West Brom continued to cause havoc in wide areas; the absence of Brad Potts also felt in what was a dire first half display.

Five minutes before the break it was three as Darnell Furlong flew down the right and cut the ball back for Maja, who was never ever going to miss. Illness in camp pre-match was a likely factor in the lethargic manner of Preston's first half performance, but those out there in black and blue simply had to do better.

Heckingbottom had to make changes at the break and he switched things up on the right side with Duane Holmes introduced - while captain Ben Whiteman entered in the middle of the park too. A miracle was required from the Lilywhites to get a result; the next best thing was to restore some pride by having a go and score in the match. And North End did the latter 20 minutes from time, as substitute Ryan Ledson drilled home after Milutin Osmajic capitalised on a Jed Wallace error.

Suddenly there was an added bite and tenacity about Preston as they hunted the ball, enjoyed some territory in the Albion half and got themselves into dangerous attacking positions. Emil Riis worked Alex Palmer with a stinging strike from the right of the box and West Brom had to defend last ditch on occasions, but the damage in reality was done in those first 40 minutes. Thankfully none was done to Riis in the 95th minute when West Brom’s captain Kyle Bartley decided to needlessly hurl him over the advertising board.

PNE XI: Woodman; Storey, Whatmough, Lindsay, Bowler (Holmes 46'), McCann (Ledson 63'), Thordarson (Whiteman 46'), Kesler-Hayden, Frokjaer (Keane 84'), Greenwood (Osmajic 63'), Riis. PNE unused subs: Cornell, Bauer, Okkels, Nelson.