Preston 0-4 West Brom: North End see unbeaten start emphatically ended

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion at Deepdale as the Baggies emphatically ended the home side's unbeaten start to the season.

Saturday 30 September 2023 18:41, UK

Preston's unbeaten Sky Bet Championship record was emphatically ended as they lost 4-0 at home to West Brom.

After six wins and two draws, North End were comprehensively dispatched by the impressive Baggies.

Goals from Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley gave West Brom a third win of the season, lifting them to within three points of the play-off places.

With rain lashing down on the lush Deepdale surface, the Baggies took just four minutes to open the scoring. Phillips touched the ball tidily to Furlong, and he drilled home superbly first-time from 22 yards.

It was a timely early boost for Carlos Corberan's men, one which gave them a spring in their step.

Centre-back Cedric Kipre was next to threaten when his close-range effort was bravely blocked by Brad Potts.

Preston were uncharacteristically poor in possession, and the visitors could have punished them again, only for Erik Pieters to volley wildly over the top from a promising position.

As the hosts were finally finding some rhythm, a howler from Jordan Storey cost them a second goal just before the half-hour mark.

The defender was far too casual trying to bypass Mowatt, losing the ball easily as the Baggies' midfielder went on to coolly beat a stunned Freddie Woodman from eight yards.

Nothing was going Preston's way, with West Brom patiently probing for another opening.

They came close when skipper Jed Wallace's strike was deflected wide, while Okay Yokuslu planted a free header woefully off target in first-half added time.

The Baggies were straight on the attack at the start of the second period when Mowatt flung in a terrific cross for Grady Diangana, but he scooped a shot disappointingly over.

Diangana was then thwarted by an assistant referee's flag as West Brom thought they had grabbed a third goal.

Like the rain, the Baggies' forward play was persistent, and next to go close was Phillips, who curled a sweet strike just past the far post.

West Brom finally got a third goal - rather fortuitously - in the 62nd minute as Phillips fired home via a wicked deflection off Storey from 15 yards.

That prompted many North End fans to head for the exits, with their team's day heading from bad to worse.

That was summed up when sub Mads Frokjaer somehow missed the target from eight yards, further compounding the home supporters' frustration.

Three-quarters of the stadium almost instantly emptied when Bartley converted Wallace's cross to complete the scoring in the 87th minute.

The managers...

Preston's Ryan Lowe:

"We were nowhere near the levels I expect from the lads, but you have to remember West Brom are a really good team full of good players.

"They're well coached, you can see that but I was also proud and pleased that our lads didn't give up - we kept going right until the end.

"We've been terrific so far this season. We're still in a great position, we've only lost one game.

"We've lost three points, not six or nine, so it's not all negatives. The lads know they weren't good enough today, but we won't linger on it.

"I've told them all that I want lots of smiles on faces on Monday morning, and there will be. The manner of the defeat was a big disappointment, but credit to West Brom.

"Ultimately we've just lost one game - today has just been one of those days."

West Brom's Carlos Corberan:

"I was delighted to see complete effort and commitment from all the players, and that was exactly what I had been after.

"I've told the players previously that they need to believe in themselves and that belief was there for everyone to see today.

"Perhaps at times we needed to do more things during the game, but I cannot be critical after a victory like that.

"I was so pleased to see every player competing from the very first minute to the last. There are different challenges in this division too.

"We met those today, but we all know the physical demands of the Championship."