Match Report: Blackburn Rovers 1 PNE 2

Preston North End won an exciting Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers with a 2-1 score thanks to a header from Liam Lindsay in the last minute of the game.

In the 35th minute of the game, the captain managed to score a goal after receiving an excellent pass from Brad Potts. This goal broke the tie, which was the first one of the game. Throughout the first half, the home team hit the goalposts twice, demonstrating their attacking spirit.

Sammie Szmodics made the score even for Blackburn Rovers four minutes after the start of the second half. In the last minute of regular playing time, Lindsay scored a header to secure victory with three points.

The match began at a very fast tempo as the home team initiated some hopeful assaults. Meanwhile, North End could have grabbed an early advantage in the fifth minute.

After receiving his first England U19 invitation, Kian Best made a great play by passing the ball beautifully down the left side so that Milutin Osmajić could run after it. Osmajić then passed the ball back to Holmes, who made a fast first attempt at scoring, but unfortunately, Callum Brittain stood in the way and blocked the shot.

Shortly after, Jordan Storey made a vital stop to prevent Sammie Szmodics from scoring up close. Then, Holmes had another opportunity 19 minutes into the game and took a shot from the edge of the field, which Leo Wahlstedt saved in the goal.

During the game, Rovers had a fantastic opportunity in their next offensive maneuver. Tyrhys Dolan crossed the ball from the byline and managed to find Arnor Sigurðsson, who was completely free and unmarked. Arnor brilliantly cushioned and unleashed a volley that unfortunately hit the bar.

However, there was no way to stop Browne and PNE from scoring in the 35th minute when the captain displayed his outstanding skills. Potts made an excellent pass to switch the direction of the game, and the Irish player successfully controlled the ball before forcefully striking it past Wahlstedt. He then spun around in front of the cheering home supporters to celebrate his goal.

From that moment on, North End was dominant, with Liam Millar and Osmajic both taking shots on target. However, just before half-time, they were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Andrew Moran's attempt hit the crossbar.

The Rovers managed to score a goal early on in the second half, precisely four minutes in. Szmodics took control of the ball while inside the area and expertly placed it past Woodman, right beside the post nearest to him.

After scoring a goal, Rovers were feeling confident and had more opportunities to score through Moran and Szmodics, but the score remained tied for the moment, similar to how North End was feeling after their goal.

PNE was next to miss out on a goal when a cross from Potts found Holmes. Unfortunately, the shot hit the post and then rolled back across the goal-line. It was unlucky for the American player.

Only a couple of minutes elapsed until Osmajić used his head to meet Best’s cross and caused the bar to shake. Nonetheless, the referee flagged him offside.

In the 71st minute, Potts believed that he was fouled and should have been awarded a penalty, but the referee, Thomas Bramall, did not agree with him.

In the final minutes of the game, the player wearing number 44 for North End helped his team win a corner. During the resulting set piece, Ben Whiteman passed the ball to Lindsay who was in the box. Lindsay then bent down and headed the ball into the goal, causing excitement and chaos among the opposing team's fans. Thanks to this late goal, PNE managed to secure a last-minute win.

The Blackburn Rovers starting players for the match were Wahlstedt as the goalkeeper, Travis, Hill, S.Wharton, and Brittain as defenders, A.Wharton and Tronstad as midfielders, and Sigurðsson (later replaced by Leonard at the 78th minute), Dolan (replaced by Markanday, also at the 78th minute), and Moran as forwards, with Szmodics as the final attacking player. The substitutes for the match were not used, including Hilton, Ennis, Gamble, Batty, Garrett, Atcheson, and Telalovic.

Preston North End's starting team for their latest match consisted of Woodman in goal, with Storey, Lindsay, and Best forming the defense. The midfield comprised of Potts, Whiteman, Browne, and Millar, though Brady replaced the latter in the 69th minute. Upfront, Holmes was joined by Osmajic, who replaced Keane in the 61st minute, and Frøkjær took over for Holmes at the same time. None of the substitutes were ultimately used, including Cornell, Bauer, Stewart, Ledson, Woodburn, and Mawene.

Number of people present: 20,596, with 5,789 supporters of PNE.

Match official: Mr T Bramall.