PNE in Numbers: North End reach century of bookings

Preston North End's Paul Huntington is shown a yellow card

On the hour mark against Leeds on Tuesday night Alan Browne was booked for taking one for the team.

The Irishman’s felling of Caleb Ekuban to halt a counter attack for the visitors resulted in North End’s 100th yellow card of the campaign.

Captain Tom Clarke’s late booking ensured Alex Neil’s side ended the night on 101, Ben Davies having also been booked earlier in the evening by referee Lee Probert.

Yellow cards have actually been dished out 109 times to Preston players during the course of the campaign but with one turning to two for Browne, Greg Cunningham, Ben Pearson and John Welsh they do not count to the total when they change colour to red.

Individually Pearson, as you would expect, leads the way.

After 16 yellows last season he has picked up 14 in the Championship this time around. One more, and he serves a three-game ban which would carry over into next season if necessary.

On average, the former Manchester United man has been booked every 191 minutes. Welsh is top, if you would call it that, of that particular measure with each of his four cards having come every 158 minutes.

Darnell Fisher is second behind Pearson on 12 bookings, while Daniel Johnson and Paul Huntington both have nine.

Despite clocking up a century of yellow cards, North End don’t top the Championship naughty table with the FA.

That honour falls to Tuesday night’s opponents Leeds.

The Whites have 89 yellow cards to their name but have stormed to the top of the charts thanks to eight reds.

Under FA rules that adds up to 446 points, two more than PNE who have 444, four red cards going alongside their 101 yellows.

Sunderland are third on 420 have picked up 89 yellows and six reds.

Further down the Football League pyramid there are two other sides who are into three figures when it comes to bookings.

Mansfield in League Two have picked up 106 with four red cards meaning their total is 468.

But the worst record of all belongs to MK Dons in League One. They have been the wrong side of the referee for most of the season seemingly, 107 yellows and five reds giving them 482 points in total with four games to go.