[themaclad]

Bristol City
Deepdale 2/11/2024 15.00 hrs

A rarity only the second 3 pm kick off at home this season, we are in November, will be able to listen to the football sccores on the way home after the game although the BEEB have changed that as well.

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/

MANAGER



Suspect the minutes silence for Remberance Sunday may be a difficult one for Mr Manning given recent sad events

LAST TIME OUT





FORM GUIDE

PNE 11 BRIZZLE 10

HOT SHOTS



NEWBIES



The Fitness Test
There will be a team news update in the pre-match press conference, set to take place on Friday.

However, it looked as though everyone made it through Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal without injury.

The only existing concerns are for Ched Evans, Patrick Bauer and Will Keane, who are all likely to miss out again.

The Robins

Bristol City, who finished 11th last season, head into the weekend in that very same position.

They’ve proven to be a difficult side to beat in recent weeks, having not lost since mid-September, with their unbeaten run now at seven matches and two of those were wins.

Head coach Liam Manning is now back in the dugout after his leave of absence due to a tragic family circumstance, and everyone at PNE sends their sincere condolences to Liam and his family.


MACS VIEW

Back to normality against Brizzle, suspect back to the regular starters just another two games next week until the International break, City mid table at the moment always loads expected from them but we end up playing them every season, we finish the season at Ashton Gate soon be here

The Officials

Referee: Tom Nield
Assistant Referees: Greg Read and Jonathan Hunt
Fourth Official: James Bancroft

Geoff Eltringham was initially set to referee this fixture, but Tom Nield will now be the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon.

It'll be the second time that Nield has taken charge of a PNE match this season, following the 1-1 draw away at Middlesbrough.

In total, Nield has refereed ten matches this term, showing 45 yellow cards in that period.

[themaclad]

Preston North End 1 Greenwood Bristol City 3 Hirakawa, Wells, Bird



Attendance: 14,261 (944 Bristol City fans).

Referee: Mr T Nield

Well, what a to do, City deserved to win, can't complain at that, although there was plenty to complain about the 102 minutes of action.
One down very early on, altough having seen the goal, in rugby terms it would have een disallowed having been knocked on, ball over the top, Storey made the mistake of allowing the ball too bounce before his poor header bsck to Woodman was intercepted by Hirawake, who then proceeded to forearm the ball past Woodman and roll it into the net. Disallowed well no, given, the muted pre match atmosphere suddenly went up many many notches and we had angry Deepdale which in a way is no bad thing.
The laid bck Dane Mads FJ received a booking for politely telling he referee he was wrong nd spent the next 15 minutes carrying on in the same vain.
The injustice did actually galvanise us, we were the better side, a brilliant tackle by McGuane denied Mads from close range after a rapid break down our left hand side.
It was noticeable evry time we having a period of play where we were on top a City player fell over in mysterious circumstances although two were injured, the others to be using manure to build an outhouse.
Angry Deepdale vented it's ire on the hapless official, very easy to book our lads in the first half.
Equalised early in the second period, free kick on the edge of the box, crap wall Greenwood found the gap and the net, level but not for long, City away down their right, McCann already on a yellow ducked out of a chllenge which would probably have led to anothet yellow, ball in from the right, Wells in acres of space header goes in, from then on in we faded sorry disappeared without a trace.
Having missed the handball for the first there was an even more blatant one on the touchline, he missed that as well.
A cross from City whizzed passed Woodman and Bird missed a sitter, although he made amends soo after when City cut through the defence.
We rallied a bit but never looked like pulling the difference back.
A shocker, defensively we were shocking, spent hours passing the ball along the back three going nowhere, midfield was non existant and Riis got zero service apart from that it was top notch.

THE BOSS
Paul Heckingbottom was frustrated with a major decision that went against North End and the manner of the goals his side conceded in the 3-1 defeat to Bristol City.

The visitors took the lead in controversial circumstances, as Yu Hirakawa handled the ball before tapping home into an empty net.

Sam Greenwood drew PNE level in the early stages of the second half, but the Robins quickly regained the lead and then scored again in the 81st minute to seal the victory.



Asked if he thought his side would kick on after the equaliser, Hecky said: “I think anyone who was at the game would have thought that. We were the better team in the first half and we started the second half well.

“We were really positive, scored that goal, but then we just continued to be a little bit frantic in those next few moments and we didn't defend that counter-attack well.

“That set their gameplan into motion. They defended really well. We didn't attack and create enough from our opportunities.

“I think from however many shots we had, 14 or 15, their ‘keeper didn't have enough saves to make, whereas they, in their five attempts, scored three goals from them and Freddie didn't have a save to make.

“That shows how clinical they were at one end. Of course, the decision frustrated us, but we got ourselves back in the game there. Even though it should have been 1-0 to us, it's 1-1 and I would have fancied us to go on.

“It just wasn't to be today. We didn't defend those two moments for the two goals well enough, and didn't do enough at the other end to win the game.”

The defeat was the first Championship loss at Deepdale since the opening night.


North End went into the clash with the Robins on the back of a five-game unbeaten run in the league, but Liam Manning's side brought that to an end and extended their own to eight matches.

“We're not used to losing,” said Hecky. “It's not a good feeling. We talked about taking the emotion out of it at half-time because when there's that much injustice against you it can really affect performance.

“I was pleased with how we continued in the first half and got back in the game second half.

“I would have thought that everyone that was in the stadium would have thought that once we scored we would be the favourites to go on.

“Credit to Bristol City for how they defended. We were disappointed with how we performed from that moment on.

“Although we didn't give them many opportunities on our goal, we didn't defend those two key moments well enough and we weren't good enough at either end to capitalise on our moments.”

Bristol City manager Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:

“I am really pleased and really proud of the players today. It was not the prettiest game at times but we managed it quite well, especially with the changes we had to make.

“The lads showed what we are about in terms of problem solving, and the second and third goals were moments of real outstanding quality that deserved to win the game.

“We pressed well, and blocked well when we had to. It is a tough place to come, so it was real progress for me in terms of how far we have come, but we still have a way to go.

“The travelling support was phenomenal today, the way they got behind the lads was massive and delighted we can send them back home on a long journey happy.”