Preview | Preston North End (A)
The Game
Preston North End v Argyle. Deepdale. Saturday, 26 April. 3pm. Sky Bet Championship.
The Opposition
Preston are 18th in the Championship table, with 49 points from 44 games. They have won 10, drawn 19 and lost 15. At home, they have only lost three times, but they have drawn 12 of their games, winning the other seven.
After winning one and losing three of their opening four games, Preston’s reputation as draw specialists started to take off. Between their 5th and 21st games of the season, Preston drew 11 out of 17 games.
From Boxing Day to 11 February, Preston won five of nine games, losing just two, and worked themselves into 15th place, 11 points above the drop zone. However, they have won just one of their last 12, meaning they are still looking over their shoulder going into the final two games.
The Gaffer
Paul Heckingbottom represented the likes of Sunderland, Norwich City, Bradford City, Sheffield Wednesday, and Barnsley during his player career, which ended in 2012.
His first job as a coach was at Barnsley, stepping in on two occasions as caretaker manager. On the second occasion, he guided the Tykes to promotion to the Championship as well as the EFL Trophy. These achievements meant Heckingbottom was awarded the job permanently.
After a strong start to the following campaign, he was poached by Leeds United to become their Head Coach in February 2018. After just four months at Elland Road, he was sacked, with the club finishing 13th in the Championship.
Heckingbottom headed north of the border and took charge at Hibernian. After a strong first season in Scotland, Hibs struggled the following year, and Heckingbottom was sacked four months into the season.
Next, he headed to Sheffield United and was appointed head coach of their Under-23 side. After an impressive interim spell in charge at Bramall Lane, Heckingbottom was given the job permanently the following season and led the Blades to promotion to the Premier League the season after. After a poor start to the campaign, he was sacked in December 2023. Heckingbottom took over at Preston in the summer of 2024.
The Squad
Former Argyle loan player Kaine Kesler-Hayden has played more minutes than any other Preston player this season, varying between playing on the right or left, and at full-back or wing-back. Still an Aston Villa player, Kesler-Hayden is on his fifth loan out from his parent club, having also spent time with Swindon Town, Milton Keynes Dons and Huddersfield Town, before playing 27 times for Argyle last season.
Another former Pilgrim in the PNE ranks is Lewis Gibson (below). The central defender signed at Deepdale in the January transfer window, and went straight into the starting line-up, playing regularly ever since. He scored his first Preston goal in his last outing, against Hull. The former Everton man, who had several loans away from Goodison, signed permanently for Argyle in the summer of 2023, and played 63 times for the Greens.
Emil Riis is Preston’s leading goalscorer, with 10 goals. He has played in all but one of Preston’s league games this season, although he has started 27 and come on as a sub in 16, and it is from the bench where he has been used of late. The Danish forward left hometown club Randers to join Derby County as an under-18, but moved back to Randers in 2018. He moved to Preston in 2020, and is pushing 200 games for PNE.
Recent Meetings
The teams met in league action on 26 October, in an amazing 3-3 draw. Preston were 2-0 up by half-time through Sam Greenwood and Mads Frokjaer-Jensen, with Brad Potts adding a third short after the restart. Argyle, though, made an incredible comeback, with goals from Freddie Issaka, Andre Gray and Morgan Whittaker, the latter coming in injury time.
Tickets
Tickets will be available on the day the Away Ticket Office at Deepdale for £10, while Under-14s go for a quid.
Click here to read a full ticket update.
A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will wear their green home kit for this game.
Argyle TV
Argyle TV’s coverage will begin at 10am, with the Argyle TV Breakfast Show, with Erin Black and Aaron Cusack. Charlie Price and Brian McGlinchey will then bring you build-up to the game in the Pre-Match Show, available to watch on YouTube, before handing over to the ground for commentary provided by Nathan Albon and Lee Makel.
Match passes to watch this game are available to international audiences. Click here for more information.
