A Will Keane double secured Preston their fourth successive league win as they rose to the Sky Bet Championship summit with a 2-0 victory at Stoke.
The summer recruit from Wigan netted a quickfire brace early in the second half as the Lilywhites’ unbeaten start continued.
Half-time substitute Duane Holmes orchestrated the Preston knockout blow, firstly winning a penalty which Keane converted.
And the United States international was provider again for Keane’s second as he teeed up his strike partner for an easy tap-in.
A new-look Potters side, whose busy deadline day took their summer additions to 18, offered little in resistance as their four-match winning run at home was ended.
After a fierce start in which former Preston midfielder Ben Pearson was booked within 46 seconds, the visitors nearly opened the scoring with the game’s first effort on goal.
An Alan Browne effort from range deflected off Ben Wilmot and nearly wrongfooted Mark Travers, but the Potters’ goalkeeper did well to adjust and save.
Stoke gradually grew into the fixture and roles were reversed at the opposite end when Wilmot was then thwarted by Browne. A scramble in the box ended with the ball popping up invitingly for the defender, but his goalbound strike was headed clear by Preston’s captain.
The reliable Travers was called into action again shortly after the half-hour mark when a miraculous reflex stop kept the scores level.
Andrew Hughes advanced dangerously into the area and his cross was nearly inadvertently converted by Stoke defender Enda Stevens, if not for Travers’ instinct save.
The hosts’ best chance of the first half fell to Tyrese Campbell when he was found in the box by a pinpoint Wesley delivery, but the forward miscued his volleyed attempt.
A first half low on creativity drew to an uneventful close and Preston boss Ryan Lowe delivered a masterstroke to swing the tie in his side’s favour.
The introduction of Holmes at the interval proved the difference as the new addition from Huddersfield continued his bright start to life with the Lancashire outfit.
A jinking and weaving run from Holmes was abruptly stopped by Wouter Burger in the box, with the Stoke midfielder penalised by referee Matthew Donohue.
Keane stepped up for the ensuing spot-kick and happily obliged from 12 yards, drilling an effort down the middle of the goal.
Preston’s two new stars combined again in the 57th minute when Holmes set up Keane to send the travelling 2,586 fans into delirium.
Stoke boss Alex Neil – who spent just shy of four years in the Preston hotseat – tried to rouse a fightback from his shell-shocked side.
But the home side had to wait until the 77th minute to register their first shot on target as Campbell came closest to providing a consolation.
Klopp laments late lapse as Liverpool fail to see out win
Jurgen Klopp was lamented his side's late mistake as Liverpool gave up a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.
The Reds were on top after a quick start as Emiliano Martinez gifted them an opener inside the first 61 seconds. Though Youri Tielemans equalised for Villa, Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah put Liverpool back in control.
Jhon Duran scored twice late on, netting in the 85th and 88th minutes to deny Klopp’s side three points.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the German admitted that though they could not see out the win, he was proud of his team’s performance.
He said: "It got away from us. We played really good football. We were really good, played a lot of good stuff and caused a lot of problems.
"Before we changed, we gave them too many chances. It was very intense for the boys. They created too much. They were too often in our box, and we made the changes. Then we made a mistake. It happens but in that moment, it opens the door.
"They scored an equaliser, and I don't even know how. The character from the boys tonight was outstanding in our situation. We wanted to win the game. In the moment, when we gave away the 3-2, that was really tricky. That's it, that's the story of the game."
It looked like Quansah’s goal would be the winner for much of the second half, with the young defender heading in his first goal for Liverpool.
"I've been waiting for that moment," he told the BBC. "I don't score too many goals, so when it goes in the back of the net you just saw the emotion come out I guess.
"I just tried to get the best contact on it as I could. I'm thankful it went in.
"The way the crowd celebrated was a surreal moment, definitely one I'll never forget."
Emery praises 'special' Duran in Villa comeback
Unai Emery has praised "special" Jhon Duran after his late brace secured Aston Villa a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday.
The Reds looked to be on their way to a 3-1 despite Youri Tielemans’ strike after Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah added to Emiliano Martinez’s early own goal.
However, Duran's 79th-minute introduction changed the game as the Colombian scored twice in three minutes to salvage a draw.
Villa needed a win to secure a Champions League spot, but a point keeps their fate in their own hands despite Tottenham having a game in hand against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Emery was full of praise for his forward, acknowledging how important his goals could be by Sunday.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Jhon Duran is a special player. We have to try and help him. He is a good guy, and he needs a team behind him. He is getting our demands better. He was very clinical and today was important for him.
"Today we are celebrating with our supporters, we have to push it and keep working and be consistent. We were consistent all the season. The team was being mature and always consistent in our mind. Inch by inch we did it.
"We are very proud of the season. It is not enough at the moment to get fourth. Even after we scored the two goals, we had chances. We are celebrating the season here with our supporters in Villa Park.
"We are only thinking of us. We will prepare for our match on Sunday, everything is in our hands."
Villa were on a three-game losing run going into the Liverpool contest, and John McGinn highlighted the team’s strong mentality to avoid another defeat.
"It's a brilliant effort towards the end. We got a bit of luck. It's been a tough few weeks with lads coming back and playing through the pain barrier. This place got us going," he told Sky Sports after the game.
"There's some of us that have never been close to the Champions League in our life. The manager has a no-excuse mentality. People have written us off and we've floated under the radar. We'll have our Man City tops on tomorrow.
"Big Jhon [Duran] is a bit nuts and is a nightmare to have in your team, but he's got quality. We need to keep his feet on the ground over the next couple of days."
Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad: Blaugrana back to winning ways to reclaim second spot
Barcelona reclaimed second place in LaLiga with a 2-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Monday courtesy of a Lamine Yamal first-half strike and a late Raphinha penalty.
Yamal put Barcelona ahead in the 40th minute when he coolly slotted home from Ilkay Gundogan's pass after a quick breakaway for his fifth LaLiga goal this season.
Raphinha's penalty in stoppage time sealed victory for the hosts after a VAR review for handball, leaving the Basque side in seventh place with 54 points, one behind Real Betis in the last Europa League spot.
Xavi's side leapfrogged Girona to move on to 76 points, one clear of their Catalan rivals who dropped points in Friday's 2-2 draw at Alaves.
Real Madrid have already secured the league title, sitting on 90 points with three games left.
Data Debrief:
Gundogan got a vital assist for Barcelona's opener, and has been involved in 193 open-play shot-ending sequences in LaLiga this season, more than any other player in the competition.
Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in both games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga 2023-24 (W2), achieving this in a single season of the competition for the first time since 2006-07, when they also beat them twice.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
