Preston North End have continued their rejuvenation under Paul Heckingbottom and have begun to lay down promising foundations, especially defensively.
The Lilywhites faced Coventry City at Deepdale, where they ran out 1-0 victors and moved up to 14th place*. This win has extended their unbeaten league streak against Coventry to 22 matches – a simply remarkable statistic.
Preston vs Coventry: Match Facts
A close-ranged strike from Emil Riis opened and finished the scoring in the 72nd minute. The Dane could’ve scored plenty on another day if it weren’t for impressive performances from both ‘keepers (for the majority of the game). Swedish shot-stopper, Oliver Dovin, denied Riis with an exceptional save inside eight minutes. Freddie Woodman kept his fifth clean sheet in this Championship campaign by pulling off an extraordinary diving stop, denying a Coventry leveller late on.
Heckingbottom has implemented a very promising style of play with North End and an impressive 18 shots were attempted by the home side. Four clean sheets in their last five games have emphasised the work that has been put in defensively since the late August appointment.
Previous Head-to-head matches
As aforementioned, Preston have added this victory to a long line of unbeaten league performances against the Sky Blues. The only anomaly in this match-up came in 2013’s Johnstone Paint Trophy, where Coventry bested the Lilywhites in a 3-2 win. Two very last minute goals from Carl Baker and Leon Clarke ensured cup progression for the West Midlands outfit.
In the last ten years, both in League One and now the Championship, the Lancashire side punished Coventry nearly every time the two sides met. Two draws and nine wins for Preston, since 27th September 2014, has surely labelled them as the Sky Blues’ ‘bogey team’.
22 league matches unbeaten against Coventry. 🔥😮💨#pnefc
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) October 19, 2024
*Correct at time of writing
Writer’s View
A resurgence of defensive spirit and willingness to progress up the pitch has enabled a confident North End side to run out as victors against one of their favourite oppositions. A ‘smash and grab’ header from Riis has reinforced Preston’s resilience and growth with Paul Heckingbottom.
With an impressive clean sheet record under the former Sheffield United coach starting to come to fruition, Preston will be optimistic ahead of a fairly tough fixture schedule; two league games against Norwich City and Plymouth Argyle is closely followed by an EFL Cup Round of 16 clash with Arsenal on 30th October.
