Preston North End ace Robbie Brady offered a pointed celebration towards Blackburn Rovers fans during Saturday’s 2-2 draw.
PNE had high hopes for derby day after three wins in a row, beating Ipswich Town, Cardiff City and Middlesbrough.
North End and Blackburn aren’t each other’s main squeezes but with Blackpool in League One and Burnley in the Premier League, this rivalry has ramped up in recent years.
Fans were hoping for another success against Rovers but were hit with a double low inside the first 25 minutes as Sammie Szmodics and Sam Gallagher fired Rovers into a 2-0 lead.
PNE had to rally and Robbie Brady’s superb strike sparked a fightback with Emil Riis bundling home an equaliser before half-time.
North End were on top in the second half but just couldn’t find a winner, with a 2-2 draw a decent result after being 2-0 down.
Robbie Brady celebrates in front of Rovers fans
The catalyst for the fightback was Brady as he whipped a stunning effort into the top corner of the net.
The Irishman has come in for criticism at times this season but had put in the hard yards this week, turning in battling displays against Middlesbrough and Rovers.
Brady’s goal was a real moment of quality and he decided to celebrate in from of the Rovers fans.
Blackburn supporters were probably giving Brady a bit of stick as a former Burnley player, especially as he took a corner in front of the travelling supporters.
That corner wasn’t dealt with and as the ball came back out to Brady, he found the top corner of the net – and let Rovers fans know about it.
Brady cupped his ears towards the Rovers fans, no doubt enjoying his moment – and not just because it was against Rovers.
This was Brady’s first PNE goal since joining in 2022 and the Irishman will be delighted to finally get off the map in a North End shirt.
“I enjoyed my celebration yeah – it’s been coming for a while though!” said Brady whilst speaking to iFollow.
Brady deserves credit for his displays in the last few days and we can only hope that he builds on them between now and the summer.