By Alex Atkinson -
PNEfans.net
North End
trash Sunderland
Preston North End 4-1 Sunderland
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This was my first match back at Deepdale since my holiday to Australia.
I was really excited about getting back on the Townend to watch
the lads once again
Deepdale was packed to the rafters, over
19,500 fans from Preston and Sunderland. The Pavilion Paddock
was now closed off to supporters
as the bulldozers await the ok to knock the famous, historic and
characteristic stand down.
Sunderland fans Paul Simpson has made some miraculous changes to the North End
line up, no major changes just getting more out of each player.
Chris Sedgwick has been made into a central midfield maestro. Simpson
has got the best out of Patrick Agyemang also, who missed out today
through injury.
Preston started the match in a wild fashion,
taking the game to Sunderland right from the off. North End had
all the early possession
and started to dominate the first 15 minutes. What happened next
was something to savour for all North End fans.
Graham
Alexander picked the ball up on the right hand side after some
good work from Simon Whaley. Grezza
pinged the ball to the
back post for the one and only Danny Dichio, who couldn’t
miss. Dichio nodded in the ball with his head to score his first league
goal for Preston, against one of his former clubs. The whole squad
ran over to Dichio who was rightly going ecstatic with celebrations
with the Townend. Dichio was harshly booked for celebrating with
the crowd.
North End continued to go from strength to strength as they looked
for a second goal. Preston got their just reward after putting
some excellent football on show. Simon Whaley won North End a penalty
after he was tripped in the box by Nyron Nosworthy.
Graham Alexander stepped up to take the
penalty kick. Grezza opted to go straight down the middle. Sunderland
keeper Ben Alnwick just
got a hand on the ball but it wasn’t enough as the ball rolled
into the net, 2-0 to North End. Paul Simpson’s men had gone
two goals to the good after only 30 minutes played.
North end kept their pressure on Sunderland when they grabbed
a third goal. David Nugent was released in on goal. Nugent went
round the keeper and checked his run. Nugent waited for the run
of strike partner Dichio, Nugent centred the ball across goal only
for Dean Whitehead to slide the ball into his own net.
It was a sensational first half from North
End, going into the break three goals to the good. Sunderland
didn’t have a sniff
at goal, not really creating anything at all. Sunderland manager
Roy Keane must have had a right go at his players at half time,
it didn’t work one bit.
Paul Simpson’s men came out early
for the second half which must have been a physiological blow
to Sunderland. North End were
raring to go from the off, creating a glorious chance straight
away. David Nugent almost rounded off a quality Preston move when
he hit the cross bar with a first time snap shot.
Simon Whaley made no mistake shortly after, smashing home his
first goal at Deepdale. Whaley picked the ball up from deep. Whaley
ran at the Sunderland defence and drilled a low shot past Alnwick
in the away goal. Preston went four goals to the good, nothing
more than they deserved.
North End took their foot off the gas from here on in. Sunderland
grabbed a consolation goal when Varga headed in from a corner kick.
The Black cats could have grabbed two more goals in the final ten
minutes of the match, which could have given North End a right
scare.
The central defensive pair in St Ledger and Chilvers both cleared
two attempts off the line to keep the score line down. Brett Ormerod
and Callum Davidson both made cameo appearances towards the end
of the game, a big boost to Paul Simpson and North End fans alike.
This was a game that was won in the first
half, after some excellent play from North End. A special mention
must go to the midfield
partnership in McKenna and Sedgwick who were both outstanding along
with Graham Alexander who didn’t put a foot wrong after the
crazy week he’s had with the Scotland squad.
This win takes North End up to 3rd in the Championship.
Deepdale
|
4-1 
