Paul Parry (undisclosed, Cardiff City)
Preston under Alan
Irvine were an excellent side last season and fully deserved their
final top six finish. They started well with a win at Ipswich and didn't lose a league game until mid September when Wolves won at deepdale. That defeat knocked them a little and they had a wobble over the next month but they quickly recovered and began to push forward to the top half of the table. Wins over Birmingham and Derby over Christmas helped them on the way but as the battle for the playoffs heated up they looked like they would miss out despite showing good form. That all changed when they thrashed Cardiff 6-0 at home and that set them up for a grand stand finish. They won in the last minute at Birmingham to
set up a final day game against QPR where a late win was enough
to earn a top six place on goals scored. That six goal win over
Cardiff really did make a difference as it was Cardiff who missed
out. The playoffs ended in disappointment though
as they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Sheffield United but all in all
it was a very good season for Preston.
Preston tend to be a side that
most teams overlook at the start of the season but they usually
do pretty well. They have an excellent manager in Alan Irvine who has really got the best out of his hard working squad. The loss of Paul McKenna is a big one though and they will need to replace him if they are going to improve on last season's top six finish. Mind you they might not fancy
the playoffs again as they have a dire record in them losing five
times in the semi final stage and tree times in finals. Preston have a good solid defence which is always let at this level but they do need something extra up front if they are going to repeat last year's finish. Keeping hold of Alan Irvine will
probably be just as important as signing a new forward but if they
do keep the manager then I fully expect them to have a decent season
but fall a little short of the playoffs. Prediction: 10th in the Championship
Gareth Ainsworth began his career at Preston and is still well liked at his former club. He played 76 times for Preston scoring 12 goals before moving to Lincoln. Ainsworth has been at QPR since 2003 and is our joint longest serving player. The right winger is popular among QPR fans for his never say die attitude he brings to the side. Jason Jarrett had a strange loan spell at QPR last season making one start at Colchester before never being seen again during his three month spell. Disco Danny Dichio is another player to played for both clubs. He began his career at QPR and scored a few goals for us in the premiership before walking out on the club in a dream move to Serie A where he warmed the bench for a few months before returning to England ponytail between legs. He did well for Preston although he found goals hard to come by until his final season at the club. He is now plying his trade in America.
Rangers have not beaten Preston since 1980 and the six meetings in the last few seasons have been miserable ones for Rangers. Preston's first visit to Loftus Road for twenty years in 2000 was very forgettable. A dire 0-0 draw was the outcome. The return game was equally forgettable for QPR. A pathetic performance by Rangers saw us thrashed 5-0 in Gerry Francis last official game in charge before he resigned a few days on. Last season we travelled to Deepdale full of confidence. Rangers were on the back of seven consecutive wins and were going for a club record. Things started well when a well worked corner ended with Georges Santos giving us the lead and briefly put us top of the league. The lead didn't last long though and David Healy made it 1-1. A close second half looked as if it would end in a draw before a minute of madness. Preston had a goal disallowed with a penalty given instead which David Healy missed. To make amends a second penalty was given a minute later for handball as Gino Padula's third hand grew out of his chest and punched the ball away. This time they made no mistake with Richard Cresswell ending Rangers run. Ian Holloway was able to hand a debut to Scott Donnelly before the end of the game and he came close to getting an equaliser in the dying seconds. The return game saw a equally bizarre moment to the two penalties in a minute. Paul Furlong gave Ranger a a first half lead and we looked to be heading for another three points. After the break the referee sent off Jude the Cat after the linesmen confused him with a QPR player. Once we'd stopped laughing Preston took control of the game and battled to a 2-1 win which would help them on their way to the playoff final. Rangers were within a minute of three points at deepdale in 2005. Dan Shittu gave us the lead with a towering header before Nygaard and Gallen both had chances to wrap the game up. Rangers conceded though deep into injury time to rob us of a much needed win. The return game was a bad night for Rangers. Shabazz Baidoo made his full debut but had little impact as Preston ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. 2006/07 saw another draw at Deepdale. Gareth Ainsworth gave us an early lead and we were pegged back in the last five minutes to deny us a first away win of the season. The return game was a great night at Loftus Road with an amazing atmosphere as Dexter Blackstocks stunning goal won us a vital three points. in 2007/08 both games ended in a draw. Lee Camp saved a penalty up at deepdale to help us to a 0-0 draw. The return matcgh saw Preston race into a two goal lead and looked set for an easy win before goals from Ainsworth and Blackstock during inujury time rescued a point for Rangers. Last season the game at Loftus Road was a five goal thriller. Heider Helguson scored twice to give us a two goal lead before Preston fought back to draw level in the second half. Rangers fought back again though and won it with a late Dexter Blackstock goal. At Deepdale Preston decured a playoff place with a late winner through Sean St Ledger.
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