[themaclad]

That time of the year again, what dubious 600 mile away round trip will we get this time

[Lord Snooty]

A repeat of the 1922 and 1938 finals.

[themaclad]

And a repeat of the 2022 League Cup Tie overjoyed is not the phrase I would use

[themaclad]

12.30 kick off FFS

[Lord Snooty]

At least it's only a tenner.

[themaclad]

£5 for me

[themaclad]

In The Dressing Room

Ryan Lowe will provide an update on team news in his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

A Look At Our Visitors

After beating Huddersfield Town away from home twice earlier this season, PNE hosted the Terriers at Deepdale on Boxing Day, with the side from West Yorkshire coming out on top.

Mark Fotheringham’s team went on to win their next game in a clash with Rotherham United, before starting 2023 with a home defeat to Luton Town.

They’ve still got work to do to get themselves out of the Championship bottom three, but on Saturday the focus will be solely on progressing to round four of the FA Cup.

Going Head To Head


Games played: 99
PNE wins: 38
Draws: 24
Huddersfield Town wins: 37
Last victory: Huddersfield 0-1 PNE, 18th October 2022

One To Watch

As is always the case with cup competitions, it’s difficult to predict how many changes will be made, but Jordan Rhodes could be the man to keep an eye on if he is to feature.

The 32-year-old forward, who has played almost 600 games in his career to date, has six goals to his name so far this season, with two of those coming against PNE.

He also has a good record against North End prior to the current season, having netted a hat-trick back in 2011, while he also scored for Blackburn Rovers at Deepdale in the 2015/16 campaign.

Match Officials

Anthony Backhouse will referee a Preston North End fixture for the first time in his career on Saturday.

Backhouse, from Cumbria, has taken charge of games in League One and League Two mostly this season, however he did referee a league clash between Coventry and Cardiff City at the end of 2022.

In the 20 games which he has officiated so far this season, he has shown a total of 57 yellow cards, and he’s yet to dismiss any players.

In the cup Town have the better record however this was one of our victories





MACS VIEW

My first FA Cup tie was 4/1/1969 Notts Forest at home won 3-0 Derek Temple running 50 yards with the ball to score on of the goals.Forest fans en masse on the Kop mixing in a fistycuff manner with North Enders behind the wall.
In those days all third round games kick off at 3 pm on the Saturday, it was one of the best days in the football calender.
Fast forward to this weekend, this kicks off at 12.30, there are games on 4 days over weekend, with Villa v Stevenage kicking off at 4.30pm
Sadly the magic of the competition has long since disappeared out of the window, many sides including lower league clubs have multiiple team changes.
As for this the magic of the cup means we take on Huddersfield for the fourth time this season, wouldn't be surprised if wwe end up in Yorkshire probably a week on Tuesday for a 5th game between the sides.
No idea who he will put out, down to one fit forward, might as well give some of the youngsters a game after all neither of these sides will be in the final on the final on the first Saturday in June

[themaclad]

Preston North End 3 Lees OG Diaby Browne Huddersfield Town 1 Kamberi

PNE line-up: Woodman; Diaby, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne (Kamara, 90+2), McCann, Ledson, Johnson, Fernández (Brady, 88); Woodburn, O’Neill (Cross-Adair, 61). Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Bauer, Slater, Mawene, Potts.

Huddersfield Town line-up: Bilokapic; Leeds, Helik, Ayina (Boyle, 38); Lowton (Diarra, 70), Kasumu (Harratt, 74), Camara, Kesler-Hayden; Thomas, Simpson (Kamberi, 45), Rudoni (Holmes, 45). Subs not used: Chapman, Jackson, Ruffels, Rhodes.

Attendance: 6,799 (762 Huddersfield Town fans)

Referee: Mr A Backhouse.

After a fairly drab first half the thought of these two meeting for a fifth time in Yorkshire in 10 days ws obviously not on either sides agenda, as the second period was probably one of the most entertaining at Deepdale for a long while.
North End made several changes resting weary bodies after the Christmas exertions, O'Neil played up front, however he was the only recognised forward in the squad, the bench had several youngsters on it.
The usual first half performance from us, build up way too slow allowing Town to defend with two banks of four, apart from a Ledson shot and a cross from Johnson which just evaded several home players, the away goal was rarely threatened, meanwhile Woodman survived one scare when Simpson's effort clipped the top of the bar.
As with the league game on Boxing Day Town should probably have been down to ten, when for the umpteenth time Ayina brought down Woodburn, having already been booked looked a nailed on second yellow, but Mr Blackhouse who had not sent off anyone this season kept his card in his pocket, within a minute Ayina had been substituted.
Town came out with purpose in the second half and it was no surprise when they took the lead, not great defending stemming from Woodman coming for a ball which he was never going to get, we never really cleared the ball and Thomas had time to pick out Kamberi who finished with ease.
The usual sinking feeling for the home fans lasted only three mintes when great work by Woodburn on the right kept the ball in play , fired in a good cross, hit Lees and ended up in the net.
Town should have really taken the lead again when Woodman's awaful ball out left Town with a glorious chance, Kamberi could have made it two but didn't reckon on Diaby's brilliant block denied them a certain goal.
Diaby then became the toast of Deepdale, Ledson's ball in fell nicely for the giant defender he buried it. Could have had more looked a good attacking side, easy when sides actually come to play instead of sitting back, the third came a couple of minutes from the end when Browne capped a good display by being first to react to a ball in from the left and poked it in from a couple of yards.
There was almst a debut goal for 17 year old Kamara, screwed his shot wide.
Fair play to the visitors deciding to have a go in the second half opened the game up pity really wouldn't have minded a third trip this season to the John Smith's Stadium

Preston manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It was chalk and cheese between the first and second half. What we needed to do was have a calmness in our play, keep creating opportunities and hopefully scoring.

"The second half was very good and we were well worthy.

"To concede a scruffy goal on our behalf was disappointing, but probably sometimes that's what we've needed - to go 'we can't just roll over, we've got to compete and have a go' and we did that."

Huddersfield manager Mark Fotheringham told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was a great exercise, we got a lot of answers and we had a lot of young players on the team.

"The goals we lost were absolutely unacceptable and that's happened now in the last two games. I'm very unsatisfied with that and I've made that clear to the lads, they're obviously disappointed.

"When Florian scored we were very much on top and I feel the game swung on his second chance. We let them off the hook and that's been the story of the whole season."

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[themaclad]

At Deepdale

[themaclad]

28/1/23 6pm BBC