A superb first half display saw Preston North End tear apart fellow play-off hopefuls Coventry City. Three goals in the opening 45 minutes were enough to take home the three points.
It was Preston’s biggest win of the season and only the fourth time they had managed to score more than two in a game.
Coventry City came into this game having lost just two in 21 since their defeat at Deepdale in November. They had also only lost once at home all season, but remarkably they had failed to beat Preston in the last 20 league games between the sides. Make that 21.
What a start!
It took less than a minute for Preston to take the lead on Friday night. We usually start games slowly but not on this occasion. North End won a corner with the first play of the game. Ben Whiteman took it short to Alan Browne who looped a ball into towards the back post.
Emil Riis managed to force it home, in a very old fashioned centre forward manner, and Preston were 1-0 up already. Coventry looked shell-shocked and remained so for the rest of the first half.
Right place right time
Will Keane has a knack of just being in the perfect spot to put the ball in the back of the net. The second goal on Friday night was his 12th of the season. I don’t think many would have predicted that the former Wigan Athletic striker would be on that many goals at this stage of the season. Or if he would get that by the end of the campaign.
He owed his goal to fantastic work from Riis though. The Dane made a great run forward, turned his defender and saw a shot blocked. He carried on though and dispossessed Jay Dasilva, and Keane just had to turn and fire it past Ben Wilson.
Plenty of goals between these two strikers of late. 10 in the last seven and a half games which they have played alongside each other.
Riis back to his best
Four in four for the Dane now, and I’ve mentioned it before but it really is so pleasing to see the former Randers player back in this team. After a year out it can take a while to get back in the swing of things. But he is back to tearing defences apart.
He hasn’t lost any pace and when he strides up the pitch he’ll cause any team in this league problems. He showed that in the lead up to the third goal. On the counter, he galloped up the pitch before playing in Mads Frokjaer. Whilst the number 10 couldn’t get a touch to it, Bobby Thomas managed to and put it into his own net. It came at a time when The Sky Blues were starting to threaten as well.
Riis’ four goals have been a real mix. A couple of scrappy ones, a lovely reactive volley against Middlesbrough, and a typical Riis goal against Cardiff City, cutting in and smashing home.
Solid from Woodman and Hughes before the break
At 3-0, many North End fans are still unable to relax. We were 3-0 up at half-time against Ipswich a few weeks ago, and they managed to make it 3-2 and ensure a nervy ending.
On Friday, Coventry weren’t giving up and just before the break Freddie Woodman made a great save with his left boot to keep out Callum O’Hare. Andrew Hughes was then there twice to block the ball and keep it out of danger.
It can be easy to relax at three goals up, but the backline ensured The Lilywhites went into the break with a clean sheet on the back of one of their best 45 minute displays of the season.
Is there a chance?
Only a month ago after the defeat to Leeds United did it seem that there wasn’t much left to play for this season. North End had ended 2023 and started 2024 badly. Ryan Lowe was out of favour with most fans, and may still be with some, but he has managed to turn the tide.
In the six games since then, Preston have won four and drawn two. Those 14 points have hoisted us back into play-off contention. The game against Coventry felt like a six pointer in some ways, especially after Hull City’s recent form.
A win for Coventry would have left Preston five points behind both The Sky Blues who would have sat seventh and The Tigers in sixth, with Hull having a game in hand.
Now North End sit ahead of Coventry, and Hull face West Bromwich Albion in the early kick off on Saturday. As things stand Preston are just three points behind The Baggies who are in fifth place as well.
The Championship continues to provide drama each season, and Preston continue to give us hope just when we think all is lost.