Preston North End vs Hull City. Sky Bet Championship.
DeepdaleAttendance14,026.
Hull maintain good run of form as Jackson Irvine inspires Deepdale victory
Wednesday 26 December 2018 18:48, UK
Jackson Irvine headed home two vital goals to claim a 2-1 win for Hull over Preston at Deepdale.
The result enabled the Tigers to climb above their hosts, who lost at home in the Sky Bet Championship for just the third time this season.
Irvine gave the visitors the lead before getting the final touch after a goal-line scramble with 10 minutes to play after Alan Browne had brought North End level.
Nigel Adkins' side could have been ahead much earlier, before Irvine's 28th-minute goal.
Kamil Grosicki raced through with Fraizer Campbell in support but his chip sailed wide in the third minute.
Preston were lacking options up front with five of their first-team strikers ruled out with injuries, leaving Lukas Nmecha as their sole man up front.
The 20-year-old had the hosts' first opportunity but failed to hit the target as his header drifted over.
Midfielder Paul Gallagher had the closest chance when the Deepdale crowd gasped after his drive was tipped wide by Hull goalkeeper David Marshall, three minutes before Preston fell behind.
Hull's Stephen Kingsley wriggled free to loft a high ball into the middle of the box, where Irvine stormed forward to head home powerfully and give his side the half-time advantage.
But parity was restored almost instantly after the restart when Browne's spectacular hit-and-hope strike sailed into the top-right corner from outside of the area.
The equaliser sparked the home side into life and they pressed forward as Gallagher missed another chance. Daniel Johnson then sprinted at the Hull defence and had his shot blocked by a wall of Tigers.
Substitute Ryan Ledson, who came on after the break, saw his first shot of the match roll wide of the far post after 54 minutes.
Nmecha then leapt acrobatically in the box to attempt an overhead kick but could not trouble Marshall in the Hull net.
Five minutes later, Hull goalscorer Irvine screamed at referee Scott Duncan after he was brought down in the box and his penalty appeal was waved away.
The Tigers were knocking on the door for victory after Campbell and Grosicki both misfired their efforts on goal, and it was Irvine who stole it for Adkins' side as he got the deciding touch to a Tommy Elphick corner.
The Preston defence desperately tried to clear their lines amongst a scramble but Irvine snuck in at the far post to steal the three points.
Alex Neil: "Both teams played the same way with the same formation. They did it because they're away from home and we did it because we're lacking in numbers at the top end of the pitch.
"I'm not really happy with how we performed in the first half. I thought we didn't carry much effort."
Nigel Adkins: "I thought we were very good in the first half. I thought Grosicki [Kamil] was linking up well with Jackson Irvine for periods and it was a beautiful cross from [Stephen] Kingsley for Jackson to get the first goal. Second half we knew they were going to come firing at us, it's always going to be a competitive place to come with the present Preston side.
"I'm disappointed with the goal because we lost position in the middle of the field and they've gone and scored from it. The crowd, which we kept quiet for long periods of the game, were loud and created a great atmosphere for us. It was challenging but we stuck at it."
