[themaclad]

Off to the lovely city of Bristol one day will actually see the place in the light but the EFL seem to send us here for night matches our Saturday's in December when it's equally dark.
Going for my fourth win on the bounce at Ashton Gate one under Moyes and the last two under Grayson. Given the fact we b eat them 5-0 in April they may be well up for this one which given our form at the moment may make winning there a tad difficult.
City have also started well this season and have surprised a few pundits and are fourth at the moment with 31 points and have only lost twice in the last 19 league and cup games. They have virtually the same squad as last season with a couple of additions from abroad they are also like us a fairly young side although unlike us they have a couple of players with a bit of experience Fielding and Flint spring to mind.
A couple of ex North Enders in the team Brownhill who seems to be flourishing these days which is good to see, never really got a fair crack under Grayson and Bailey Wright who got dogs abuse at Deepdale when hey lost in April, left for more money which didn't go down well with some of our faithful. Wright missed the last two games being banned for apparent simulation looked harsh as well.
If you follow City on Twitter they have players celebrating goals with various poses totally sad in my view but it gets you noticed.
As for us apparently two of the injured defenders are back in training which I assume is Davies and Earl also Hugill is back from suspension, expect a couple of changes again. Need to start taking our chances, however at the moment we need to score first as we struggle when going behind.
On a personal view cannot believe some of the negativity we get from some of our own support, had some horrendous injury problems recently and have not played well, some even want the manager sacked, we are 14th and four points from a play off place some people need to get real.

PNE Team News: Bristol City

Manager Alex Neil expects to have another couple of players available for Tuesday night’s clash with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Jordan Hugill is available again, after sitting out Friday’s derby with Bolton Wanderers through suspension and will return to the squad and could face up against former room-mate Bailey Wright.

Skipper Tom Clarke and goalkeeper Declan Rudd both returned to the 18 for the Bolton game, but both need game time away from the first team in order to get up to full match fitness.
Tommy Spurr, Marnick Vermijl, Greg Cunningham, Ben Davies, Darnell Fisher and Josh Earl all missed the live TV game, but it is hoped that a couple of the more short term injured could be fit to return against Lee Johnson’s Robins.

Sean Maguire, who collected the FAI League of Ireland player of the year over the weekend, is ruled out until well into the new year after undergoing his operation on his hamstring a fortnight ago.


Stat Attack: Bristol City

Having played one of our closest geographical rivals at home last weekend, the fixture planners have rewarded players and fans with a 400 mile midweek round trip to Bristol, taking in the delights of the M5 and M6 overnight roadworks. Hopefully our journey will not be wasted in terms of result and points!

This is the 41st time we have headed to Ashton Gate for a league game and we have gained points from almost half the matches there. We are undefeated in the last five and we have come home victorious from our last three visits. Both our games during the 2016 calendar year saw 2-1 wins and a solitary goal from Callum Robinson in 2014 was enough for all three points on that occasion.

Callum is one of numerous players to ply their footballing trade for the Lilywhites and the Robins over the years. As well as current players Greg Cunningham, Bailey Wright and Josh Brownhill, Matt Hill, Patrick Agyemang, Rob Edwards, Neil Kilkenny, and of course David Moyes, are all fondly remembered by fans of both our clubs.

Goals are a regular feature of this fixture, with 106 to date since the first meeting in 1902. In all, 12 games have seen four or more goals scored, although such high aggregates have disappeared over recent years.
We have never scored more than three goals in a match, which we have achieved on three occasions, whilst we have only conceded four goals in five matches. There have been five goalless draws, but none since 1981 so hopefully we will continue our recent good form in the west country.

On This Date
Although we have played 15 previous league games on this date, only five of these have been away from Deepdale and today is the first since a goalless draw on the Fylde coast in 1998.

Wins at West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United are counterbalanced by two defeats in Yorkshire, to Bradford and Rotherham.

Frank Becton, who featured in our Brentford preview, made his debut on this date in the 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns mentioned above. He had to wait until the following week for his first goal for North End after signing from Fishwick Ramblers the previous summer.

Simon Makienok, who spent last season on loan from Palermo, is 27 today. All at Deepdale wish Simon a speedy recovery from his serious knee injury sustained in pre-season with his new club FC Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Last Five Games At Ashton Gate
Bristol City 1 (Wilbraham) Preston North End 2 (Makienok, Johnson), 17th Dec 2016
Bristol City 1 (Wilbraham) Preston North End 2 (Baker (og), Cunningham), 12th Jan 2016
Bristol City 0 Preston North End 1 (Robinson), 22nd Nov 2014
Bristol City 1 (Elliott) Preston North End 1 (King), 5th Apr 2014
Bristol City 1 (Jones (og)) Preston North End 1 (Hume), 6th Nov 2010


Lancashire referee Darren Bond takes charge of his second North End game of the season when the Lilywhites travel to Ashton Gate on Tuesday evening.

Darren was the match official in the club’s home draw against Millwall in September, one of his 16 games so far this season, where he has issued 55 cautions and one red card.

That red card came in the other Bristol City game he has officiated this season, when he sent off a Birmingham City player late in the game at St Andrews, when the Blues beat the Robins 2-1.

Although he had done numerous friendlies and other games involving Preston North End, last season was the first time the experienced official took charge of competitive fixtures involving the club, as he refereed the two home 1-1 draws with Burton Albion and Nottingham Forest.

The referee will be assisted by John Flynn and Mark Pottage, with Andy Woolmer as the fourth official.

[themaclad]

Bristol City 1 (Woodrow) Preston North End 2 (Gallagher, Robinson)
Bristol City: Fielding, Wright, Flint, Baker, Bryan (Woodrow 67), Paterson (Pack 46), Smith, Brownhill, O'Dowda, Reid, Djuric (Eliasson 46). Subs (not used): Taylor, Magnusson, Leko, Steele.

PNE: Maxwell, Fisher, Huntington, Davies, Woods, Gallagher (Robinson 61) Pearson, Johnson, Barkhuizen, Mavididi (Browne 55), Hugill (Clarke 90). Subs (not used): Harrop, Welsh, O'Connor, Rudd.

Referee: Darren Bond (Wigan)

Attendance: 17,355 (373 PNE)

Taxes, death and wins at Ashton Gate seem to be the norm and upsetting opposition fans seems to becoming more common as well, yep we time wasted delayed free kicks but who does not these days. Apparently the Twitter rant of an ex North Enders dad who plays midfield for City was epic until he protected his tweets.
The name of the game is to win sometimes you have to be a bit ugly and sometimes you need something which has been in short supply recently a bit of luck, also some regulars a;lso returned and one of them Ben Davies was outstanding only three weeks after having his appendix out.
As with Friday we started well but the first major talking point occurred in our box, Maxwell failed to deal with a cross punching the ball straight up, the ball fell invitingly to a City player who absolutely hammered the ball goal wards from about eight yards the ball struck a defender on the shoulder, City wanted a penalty, not in my book classed it as great defending and a bad miss. Next Djuric went down on the edge of the box the ref gave nothing again right decision, the City faithful were less than impressed.
We had chances half chances but not taken, we didn't really look in trouble as City's ponderous build up from the back and long diagonal pass to either flank were predictable and easy to deal with. Took the lead on the stroke of half time ball into Hugill his effort was blocked but the ball fell to Gallagher who spun round and fired past Fielding for our first goal for a month.
Second half all City as they made a couple of changes and started to exert intense pressure, some rather haphazard keeping by Maxwell meant his defenders twice had to bail him out by clearing from the line and Woods was rather fortunate not to get a second yellow for a tackle down by the corner flag. City's big lads caused us problems but in the main we just about coped with it.
With 12 minutes to go we doubled the lead with an excellent goal, Fisher won a tackle in midfield, ball to Barkhuizen, one two with Hugill and the lying winger was away down the right, inch perfect cross and there was Robinson to steer the ball into the bottom left corner. Game over not quite we sat deep invited pressure and in the 94 th minute those home fans who hadn't left saw a bit of hope return when Woodrow fired home past Maxwell from 12 yards and have to say not the keeper's finest moment in fact he was a bit iffy all night. Held on for the win.
Delayed on the car park afterwards, added to the M6 being closed near Birmingham meant 3 am home but it was worth it.

[St Charles Owl]

You have to love football fans!! We scream and shout at our own players to protect the ball, take it into the corners, hoof it into Row Z, and basically do anything to run the clock down when we are winning, but when we are losing all those tactics become cheating instead!!!

Nice win for you guys, and much needed!!

[themaclad]

Indeed SCO but fair play to Johnson said we are the best team they've played which is a bit of comment you can accept