Ross Chapman reports from Deepdale as goals from on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alfie Devine and Milutin Osmajic clinch victory for PNE
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Preston North End secured their first Championship win of the season, in their first home outing, defeating Leicester City 2-1 at Deepdale.
The Foxes’ youngest ever goal scorer Jeremy Monga equalised either side of North End’s two strikes, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side clinching all three points late in the day.
On his first Deepdale start in the Championship, Thierry Small had two early efforts just inside the box but the first deflected wide and the second just brushed past the side netting. Two minutes later, it was the opposite wing back who picked out the crucial pass, as Pol Valentin searched for Alfie Devine down the right-hand side and weighted his ball perfectly.
The Tottenham Hotspur loan man broke into an advanced position down the flank, rounded the sweeping goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk with ease and expertly fired home into the side of the net. Devine took the shot on at what many would deem to be an awkward angle, but PNE’s new man displayed all the composure and quality required.
After a spell in which Leicester had a lot of the ball but threatened very little, Milutin Osmajic was found inside the box on 24 minutes by Devine, but he couldn’t hit his effort cleanly. Moments later, Valentin’s teasing cross into the box found Michael Smith at close quarters, but his bullet header was guided inches wide of the bottom corner.
North End continued to cause issues for the Foxes in the final 15 of the first half but were unable to extend their lead, with Small and Valentin continuing to have joy out wide. The Lilywhites were well worthy of their half time lead with former Fox, Daniel Iversen, leaving the Deepdale turf untroubled at the break. Jordan Ayew’s header wide from the free -kick of Bilal El Khannouss was the closest Leicester came.
Two minutes after the restart, PNE came so close once again to a second, this time captain Ben Whiteman got the right bend on his free kick from inside the ‘D’, but it curled past the post. Small then bombed down the left-hand side once more on 52 minutes, creating space for a cross towards Osmajic, but the Montenegrin couldn’t connect from close range.
Not long after, his striking partner Michael Smith found himself in a good spot on the right-hand side of the area but his effort only found the side netting. North End’s number 24 tested Stolarczyk midway through the half, meeting Whiteman’s dead ball delivery with a point-blank header but the ‘keeper made a routine save.
The visitors then began to turn the screw; they had yet to test Iversen up until Abdul Fatawu forced a tremendous save from the Dane, who dived to his right to deny him the equaliser from point blank range. However, his former side levelled things up seconds later.
Substitute Monga, who only turned 16-years-old last month, scored his first goal for the Foxes after working his way into the North End box and powering the ball into the near corner. Ayew then had a great chance to turn the game around as the momentum of the game switched, but the Ghanaian saw his well struck effort hit the wrong side of the post.
North End stood firm for the following few minutes as Leicester endeavoured to produce their second comeback in a week, but PNE would get their reward for such a strong showing - against newly-relegated opposition - and fears of wasted chances coming back to haunt them were banished.
A superb counter attack led by Small and Osmajic gave the Lilywhites the clincher, the former bursting down the flank and launching a low, sweeping cross to find the Montenegrin, who calmly finished past Stolarczyk to spark wild celebrations in the Town End.
PNE dug deep in those last few minutes but, down the other end, Osmajic almost had another: once again, a seamless break from one box to another led to the striker bearing down on goal once more, on his own and surrounded by Foxes defenders, he went for power but was denied by Stolarczyk.
A first home win for Preston since March and the perfect way to kick things off on home soil for 2025/26, which will surely breed confidence for players, staff and fans alike.
Attendance: 16,797 (2,669) PNE starting XI: Iversen; Storey, Gibson, Hughes, Valentin (Offiah 72’), Whiteman, McCann, Small (Vukcevic 86’), Devine (Thordarson 72’), Smith, Osmajic. PNE unused subs: Walton, Lindsay, Carroll, Okkels, Ayodele.