Scunthorpe United v Preston North End

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Football League Championship

Scunthorpe United :
Lillis, Raynes, Nelson, Nolan, Reid (O'Connor 57), Hughes (A.Wright 35), J.Wright, Collins, Duffy (Dagnall 63), Miller, Garner.
Subs not used:
Slocombe, Mirfin, Ibrahim, Grant.

Preston North End :
Turner, Morgan, St. Ledger, Jones, Treacy (Parry 80), Ashbee, Gardner, Carter, Brown, Hume (Ellington 71), Johnson (Nicholson 85).
Subs not used:
Lonergan, Wright, Barton, Clarke.

SULSESC REPORT

by Lancashire Evening Post at Glanford Park

Preston North End recorded their first win under Phil Brown's stewardship as they outclassed relegation rivals Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park.

Brown had waited 13 games - 12 of them in the Championship - for a victory, and a three-goal blitz late in the first half provided it.

After having the better of the opening half hour, North End broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Iain Hume played in Keith Treacy to slide the ball past keeper Josh Lillis.

Billy Jones netted the second four minutes later from close range, that his sixth goal of the season from the full-back positions.

Hume then latched on to a Chris Brown flick to steer home a header in the 43rd minute and put the contest beyond the reach of the hosts.

The margin of victory could have been greater, with Brown putting a close-range header over the bar and Eddie Johnson side-footing wide of an empty net.

But otherwise it was an excellent night in North Lincolnshire for Preston and their 490 travelling supporters.

And ironically for manager Brown, victory came 12 months to the day since being placed on gardening leave by Hull City.

In the fourth minute, Lillis had to punch a Ricardo Gardner cross clear when under pressure from Brown.

North End had a half-chance when Treacy's well-flighted free-kick just in from the left touchline flicked off Sean St Ledger in the six-yard box and dropped wide of the back post.

A bright start saw them go close in the 12th minute, Ian Ashbee's crossfield pass finding Treacy on the left side of the box. He squared it low into the middle, Hume's shot hitting a defender and spinning away from the danger area. The ball was cleared as far as Darren Carter 25 yards out, his first-time shot flying high over the bar.

Another shot from distance by Carter bobbled wide of the target without troubling Lillis.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Treacy's centre from the left picked out Johnson in the box, but the American could only steer his header well wide of the far post.

Good play by Hume on the edge of the box led to North End going close four minutes later, the striker holding up the ball before laying it off into the path of Brown, his powerful shot travelling a few inches over the top.

Jones put a shot from the edge of the box too high after running on to Carter's lay-off.

In the 31st minute, North End should really have taken the lead, an inch perfect cross from Gardner finding Brown unmarked seven yards out.

But with just the keeper in front of him, Brown put his header over the top.

The visitors swiftly put that miss behind them as they went ahead sixty seconds later.

Hume was the creator, feeding a pass between the Scunthorpe central defenders for Treacy to run through and slide a shot past Lillis.

North End hit their second goal nine minutes before the interval, Treacy's inswinging corner from the right flicking off the head of Scunny substitute Andrew Wright and travelling to the far post where Jones knocked it over the line.

A golden chance to net a third goal went begging in the 41st minute, Hume chasing a seemingly lost cause down the left side of the box and keeping the ball in play on the byline.

He rolled it into the middle to Johnson who somehow managed to side-foot wide with the goal at his mercy from eight yards.

Preston hit their third in the 43rd minute, Carter's cross won in the air by Brown who nodded it down into the path of Hume, the Canadian stooping low to head past Lillis.

Scunthorpe centre-half Paul Reid, who had a brief loan spell with PNE in 2002, became the first player of the night to go into referee Nigel Miller's notebook.

He was cautioned for a 54th minute challenge on Brown, the tackle bringing an angry response from the striker.

The hosts had their first real sight of North End's goal in the 58th minute when Craig Morgan's bear-hug on Joe Garner gave away a free-kick 25 yards out.

Former Morecambe and Southport winger Mark Duffy took it, his curling effort comfortably gathered by Iain Turner on the rutted surface.

Just before the hour, Johnson came in from the right-wing and drove a shot goalwards which hit Michael Nelson on the head and went behind for a corner.

Johnson got on the end of another quality Treacy cross in the 65th minute, glancing a header wide.

He then should have better when Jones' long punt forward played him in the down the inside-right channel.

But after stepping inside, the on-loan Fulham man dwelt too long on the ball and failed to get his shot away.

A rare Scunthorpe chance which saw Garner hit a shot into Turner's gloves on 76 minutes drew ironic cheers from the disgruntled home fans - followed by a chorus of chants calling for the head of boss Ian Barraclough.

At the other end, substitute Nathan Ellington drilled an angled shot wide of the far post.