Bristol City 0-2 Preston North End: Devine Intervention Sends Preston Fourth
Credit: Rob Atherton / shutterstock.com
These sides have been joined at the hip since promotion from League One together in 2015. With neither of them rearing their head in the first tier for over 40 years, could we see them both make shock returns to English football’s limelight in one of the tightest Championship play-off races for years? Preston certainly made their case with a fantastic victory on the road at Ashton Gate sending them within touching distance of the automatic promotion places.
It might not be romantic and it might not be thrilling, but these clubs are perfect examples of how to operate at this level. Selling players and letting managers go for high fees and rebuilding sustainably within your means is the only sure fire way to stop yourself becoming another Sheffield Wednesday in an ever-lengthening list of Sheffield Wednesdays in recent Championship history.
Preston have tickled the outer edges of the play-offs on a few occasions since promotion, and last season’s late collapse in form was the only time they’ve looked in real danger of relegation in their decade back at this level. They’re often derided as the Championship’s “boring” club, but all that really means is they haven’t gambled a load of money they don’t have on players they can’t afford to try and get promoted to the promised land. It isn’t a fairytale story, but ten years at this level consistently bringing in players for small fees and selling prized assets for the big bucks as soon as a bid comes in has finally set them up for a promotion push this year. In recent history they’ve sold players like Jordan Hugill and Callum Robinson for upwards of £15m combined, and their record signing is still their current centre-forward Milutin Osmajic for just over £2m. They are an excellent example of where good business and a bit of patience can lead you to at this level, as they now sit in 4th place just 3 points from 2nd after 26 games. Could this January be the window they splash some cash now that the Premier League is in their sights?
One area in which Preston have excelled in recent seasons is their use of the loan market. If you can’t bring in top-quality players permanently, proving yourself to be a great place for the biggest clubs in the country to nurture their young talent is the next best thing. Liam Delap, Cameron Archer, Anthony Gordon and even now first-choice Real Madrid left back Álvaro Carreras all had a spell at Deepdale to cut their teeth in men’s football. Most recently, Harrison Armstrong has had his loan cut short at Preston this week to return to his parent club Everton after a string of impeccable performances in the Championship for the past two seasons, a loan back to Preston is the preferred move for all parties if the Toffees can strengthen their midfield this January, but this result has gone a long way to easing Preston fans’ concerns about what life will be like if they have to cope without the young star. It’s good for the top clubs to see if their prized assets can cut it in a senior team in a physical league, it’s good for the players themselves to gain invaluable first-team experience and it’s clearly good for Preston, with both goalscorers in this weekend’s crucial win over Bristol being loanees from Premier League sides.
Their first came from an uncharacteristically sloppy defensive error from the Robins. Bristol ‘keeper Max O’Leary did well to beat Osmajic to a loose back-pass but could only snatch at the ball, his half-clearance just reaching as far as midfielder Adam Randell on halfway. Immediately under pressure, Randell was unable to release the ball before having his pocket picked by Jordan Thompson. With the Bristol defensive shape all over the place after the unexpected turnover, Thompson did brilliantly to draw in two defenders before slipping on-loan Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin in behind to tuck home his sixth Championship goal of the campaign and give North End the lead after just 8 minutes.
This year at Preston is the fourth loan spell of his young career, and he has already had his most productive goalscoring season after just 21 games. It seems like everything is starting to click for Dobbin now he’s been moved to play more centrally as opposed to as an out-and-out winger. Whether it’s the positional switch-up or simply some good old fashioned motivation, Paul Heckingbottom has transformed Lewis Dobbin into one of the Championship’s most dangerous forwards.
Injury-ravaged Bristol were knocking on the door to try and work their way back in the game for the remainder of the first half, but Gerhard Struber’s side struggled to create anything of real quality. After an amazing run last season that saw them reach the play-offs (despite the result in the semi-final) all eyes were on the Robins this season to see if they could recreate their successes and build from a position of strength. After they lost their manager Liam Manning to a Norwich side that are probably regretting their decision, a few eyebrows were raised when the more typically pragmatic Struber was appointed. At this stage they sit just two points outside the play-offs and their form has been patchy, but whose hasn’t? It’s been the closest-run Championship season in recent memory and still only 10 points separates Watford in 6th and West Brom in 18th. All anyone needs to do is conserve energy and stick within reach of the top 6 ready to put a late run together to sneak in there, and Bristol are one of many sides perfectly poised to do so. With the Robins set to inherit around £11m from the likely sale of Antoine Semenyo in the coming weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them bolster their squad in a few key areas and make another late push from promotion alongside their opponents this weekend. After the dust settles on the January window and the real run-in starts, it’ll be a fascinating watch at both ends of the Championship table.
Although he wasn’t credited with the assist for the second, once again Jordan Thompson was at the heart of it. He played a wonderful through-ball to Spurs loanee Alfie Devine, who’s initial shot was blocked before he fired home beyond O’Leary with his second bite of the cherry. Devine is another player they’ve borrowed that is having a sensational season, five goals now for the midfielder sees him just one shy of a personal best season as we creep past the halfway point. Preston are making a name for themselves as a hotbed for Premier League talent to flourish, if they don’t manage to make the jump to the promised land this time around I’m sure another crop of future stars will find themselves spending the year battling for the play-offs next season at Deepdale.
The full-time whistle rang around Ashton Gate signalling a disappointing result for the home side. There’s a real sense that if Bristol can start to put a run together they can seriously trouble the top six, they’re only issue at the moment is that consistency. They seem to back up massive results with disappointment every time, which I suppose is consistent in their own way. Every time they threaten to kick it up a gear, a result like this comes around to knock the wind out of them. With a lot of teams in the same boat lingering outside the play-offs, struggling with injuries and unable to put together a run of any length and quality, the January window will be crucial.
A huge victory for Preston, however. Bristol is always a tricky away day but they showed why they have the second best away record in the division with a confident and convincing victory. Heckingbottom has his side now just seven points shy of their total from the whole of last season, from one of the early favourites for relegation to automatic promotion chasers is quite the improvement. Losing Armstrong is devastating, but Preston pressed on towards the north end of the table. All eyes now are on a first top-flight appearance since 1961 for one of English football’s founding fathers.
The race to the top is hotting up now we’re into the second half of the season! Who will crumble under the pressure and who has the minerals to make it out of the tightest Championship season for years?