Matchday Live: Preston North End v Cherries (From Bournemouth Echo)

5:45pm

Thanks for joining us today.

5:45pm

Visit our website tomorrow for match reaction, with more interviews to follow on Monday, both online and in print.

5:43pm

Match report now online...http://bit.ly/Vrxs3y

4:47pm

Cherries have improved in the closing stages but there has still been no major saves to make for Preston keeper Declan Rudd.

4:42pm

Francis cross, MacDonald heads over. Good chance from 10 yards.

4:39pm

Fine cross from Ritchie but Pitman can't quite apply the finish.

4:36pm

Flick-on by Pitman, Grabban volleys high and wide.

4:36pm

Preston subs: Beardsley and Garner replace Beavon and Holmes. 76 minutes.

4:34pm

Decent cross from Ritchie headed clear with Tubbs waiting to head home.

4:26pm

Another corner for Cherries now. Their best spell so far. Cook heads over.

4:24pm

Wes Fogden shot deflected narrowly wide. Corner.

4:24pm

Corner for Cherries.

4:23pm

Cherries still struggling to create anything. Preston happy to play on the counter.

4:23pm

Cherries still struggling to create anything. Preston happy to play on the counter.

4:15pm

4:15pm

Very attacking shape about Cherries now as they search for a route back into the clash. Pitman playing in behind Tubbs and Grabban.

4:13pm

Cherries sub: Tubbs for Arter.

4:13pm

Superb save from Jalal to deny Beavon, who let fly from 25 yards.

4:06pm

Second half under way.

4:05pm

Cherries sub at half-time: Fogden for Painter. Cherries go 3-5-2.

3:41pm

Cherries yet to find any real tempo. MacDonald now sitting in front of the back four, Pitman wide left and Grabban up top on his own.

3:38pm

Cherries sub: O'Kane for Pugh.

3:35pm

Wright scrambles home from six yards after Nicky Wroe's deep free-kick had fallen kindly for the Preston man. Cherries have it all to do now.

3:29pm

Cherries have responded well to going behind. Their best spell of the match so far.

3:29pm

Break in play as Arter receives treatment.

3:24pm

Jalal is then forced to parry and gather at the second attempt after Lee Holmes let fly from 15 yards. Home crowd and team buoyant.

3:23pm

One-time Cherries transfer target Beavon fires Preston into the lead. Jack King failed to control on the edge of the penalty area before Beavon latched on to the loose ball, made space for the shot and lashed low past Shwan Jalal from 20 yards.

3:16pm

Preston captain John Welsh hammers over the crossbar from 20 yards.

3:11pm

Bit of a scrappy opening. Pitch looks very bobbly, particularly in the middle third.

3:07pm

Cleared.

3:06pm

Cleared for another corner.

3:06pm

Ritchie free-kick, Pitman shot, deflected for a corner.

3:05pm

Both teams have lined up 4-4-2. Matt Ritchie starting in his preferred right midfield role with Painter at left-back.

2:58pm

The teams are heading out now. Decent away following from Dorset and plenty of noise inside Deepdale.

2:53pm

FORM GUIDE

Cherries’ record in the 21 league games since Eddie Howe’s appointment is quite remarkable. P21 W15 D5 L1 GF45 GA19.
In stark contrast, Graham Westley was axed by Preston after overseeing just three league victories in the club’s past 21 matches.
-
Past six league games...
Preston – L L L D L W
Cherries – W W W W W L

2:48pm

DEBUTANT – Marcos Painter

CHERRIES last night snapped up Brighton star Marcos Painter on loan as cover for injured full-back Charlie Daniels.

Painter, 26, will remain at Dean Court until the end of the season and will add his useful experience to Cherries’ promotion push.

The Birmingham-born defender started his career at St Andrews before joining Swansea City in 2007. Painter remained with the Swans until 2010 when he sealed a loan move to Brighton.

The deal was made permanent later that year when Painter penned a two-year deal with the Seagulls. He then helped Brighton secure promotion from League One as champions in 2011.

He starts today at left-back with Daniels sidelined.

2:46pm

TEAM NEWS

Preston, who axed manager Graham Westley in midweek, have made no fewer than seven changes.

North End: Rudd, Wright, Huntington, King, Buchanan, Keane, Wroe, Welsh, Holmes, Hayhurst, Beavon. Subs: Robertson, Garner, Monakana, Procter, Beardsley, Foster, Stuckmann (g/k).

2:41pm

TEAM NEWS

Cherries boss Eddie Howe has made three changes. Loan recruit Marcos Painter makes his debut at left-back with fit-again duo Shaun MacDonald and Marc Pugh both returning. Eunan O'Kane, Richard Hughes and Josh McQuoid drop to the bench.

Cherries: (4-4-2) Jalal; Francis, Cook, Seaborne, Painter; Ritchie, MacDonald, Arter, Pugh; Pitman, Grabban. Subs: Fogden, McQuoid, Tubbs, Fraser, Hughes, O'Kane, Allsop (g/k).

2:37pm

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM – Preston caretaker boss John Dreyer

Dreyer, in temporary charge following Graham Westley’s Deepdale departure, told the Lancashire Evening Post: “I see the Bournemouth game as an opportunity and the one thing we have in our favour is expectation. Of course, expectation comes from within and it will certainly come from me.

“But, from the outside looking in, there is not a lot of expectation in terms of a positive result on this game in view of how we have done recently.

“We have, maybe, got a little bit less pressure on us than in recent home games and that is something which might help us.

“That is not to say we are going to give up the ghost and hand Bournemouth the three points. Let’s make it clear, that is certainly not going to be the case.

“We are going to go out there and fight, we are going to play our football and try to win the game. I just see the Bournemouth game as a great opportunity. On paper, it is daunting, but I won’t be looking at it that way.”

2:36pm

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM – Cherries boss Eddie Howe



After Cherries jumped to the League One summit following the win at Crewe on Tuesday, Howe told the Daily Echo: “We are the scalp that everybody wants so we are going to have to make sure we adapt to that and use it to our advantage and try to use it in a positive way.
“A lot of people talk about pressure at the top but, for me, you won’t find any more pressure than when you are at the bottom and scrapping for points.
“I think you should, as much as you can, try to enjoy being at the top of the league and try to really enjoy that pressure that comes with being successful. Hopefully, we can do that.
“I think you have got to relish it and enjoy it. If you can’t enjoy being top of the league and in that position, then you are not going to enjoy anything in football.
“What is key for me is that we try to focus on the next game and try to stay there. That is the most difficult part now – to try to stay there.
“Everyone will want to try to take our place so we have got to make sure nothing changes from our side and we continue to approach every game in the professional way that we have done.”