Preston North End 1-0 Portsmouth
Saturday August 21, Deepdale, (Att: 9,666)
Preston North End secured their first points of the season as a Paul Hayes goal earned them a deserved victory over Portsmouth.
After a poor start to the season, it was no surprise to see such a sparse crowd at Deepdale. However, those absent missed a dominant performance by Darren Ferguson's side.
Ultimately, they had to settle for just the one. Paul Hayes grabbing the winner after just 18 minutes as he converted Billy Jones's low cross from close range.
Firmly in charge, the home went searching for a second and went close with a volley from Hayes and an acrobatic overhead effort from Jones.
Pompey were also indebted to keeper Jamie Ashdown for pulling off a number of good saves, including thwarting Josh King when the North End striker was through one-on-one.
However, one goal was to prove enough for the Lancashire side as they got they finally got off the mark for the new campaign. For Steve Cotterill's Portsmouth though, the search for a first win continues.
Must have been pleasing indeed for PNE fans given Cotterill's Burnley connections. I still think both sides are likely to struggle although Hayes was one of the best signings of the Summer.
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