{"id":160104,"date":"2024-03-08T13:11:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T13:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/03\/08\/north-end-to-stay-in-play-off-hunt\/"},"modified":"2024-03-08T13:11:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T13:11:55","slug":"north-end-to-stay-in-play-off-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/03\/08\/north-end-to-stay-in-play-off-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"North End to stay in play-off hunt \u2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Preston will be looking to boost their play-off hopes when they welcome relegation-threatened Stoke to Deepdale for Championship action on Saturday.<\/p>\n

North End have put together a nice run of results since the turn of the year, collecting 18 points from a possible 30 to leave themselves not too far behind sixth-placed Hull.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

With four points the gap to the Tigers, Preston know any slip-ups could cost them in their pursuit of a top-six finish and they will be eager to chalk up a 16th league win of the campaign at home to Stoke.<\/p>\n

The Potters are in the relegation zone on goal difference, with just two points the gap to Plymouth in 16th place, highlighting just how tight the battle at the bottom is right now.<\/p>\n

\"Steven
Steven Schumacher has a few selection issues to contend with on Saturday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Team news<\/h2>\n

Preston striker Ched Evans remains sidelined with a knee issue that has seen him miss the last nine matches, while wing-back Brad Potts is unlikely to have recovered from a hamstring problem in time for this contest.<\/p>\n

Full-back Kian Best is also unavailable as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury.<\/p>\n

Stoke will be without the suspended Ben Pearson, who was sent off at Leeds in midweek, while Junior Tchamadeu is absent with a knock that has kept him out for two matches.<\/p>\n

Luke McNally and Enda Stevens have both returned to training for the Potters, though neither are expected to make the matchday squad for Saturday.<\/p>\n

The stats<\/h2>\n

Preston are on a seven-game unbeaten streak, winning four and drawing three, and they have kept back-to-back clean sheets heading into this fixture.<\/p>\n

\n

\nhttps:\/\/803c823a72f5a7cc8e70f039045c0cc1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

North End are yet to taste defeat at Deepdale in 2024, racking up three straight victories over Bristol City, Ipswich and Middlesbrough before drawing against Blackburn and Hull.<\/p>\n

Stoke have lost three of their last four matches, results which have seen them slip into the bottom three, while they have lost their last four away assignments.<\/p>\n

The Potters have won just one of the last six meetings against Preston, who won September\u2019s reverse fixture 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium.<\/p>\n

Prediction<\/h2>\n

Preston\u2019s midweek clash at Southampton was called off after a fire broke out near St Mary\u2019s and that should mean North End are fresher than opponents Stoke, who lost 1-0 at Leeds on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Ryan Lowe\u2019s side are on a solid run of form and they will feel confident of claiming a precious three points, especially at home where they are unbeaten in five.<\/p>\n

Stoke are lacking a cutting edge in the final third and their tally of 33 goals is the third-lowest in the Championship, only Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham have netted less.<\/p>\n

While the Potters should put in another determined performance, their away issues have been clear to see and Preston can get the job done at Deepdale.And if you get just one score right, you\u2019ll be entered into a prize draw to win a mystery football shirt, thanks to our friends at Mystery Football. 18+, UK\/Ireland residents only,\u00a0LiveScore: Live Sport Updates<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Preston will be looking to boost their play-off hopes when they welcome relegation-threatened Stoke to Deepdale for Championship action on Saturday. North End have put together a nice run of results since the turn of the year, collecting 18 points from a possible 30 to leave themselves not too far behind sixth-placed Hull. With four […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-160104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nNorth End to stay in play-off hunt \u2013 - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/03\/08\/north-end-to-stay-in-play-off-hunt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"North End to stay in play-off hunt \u2013 - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Preston will be looking to boost their play-off hopes when they welcome relegation-threatened Stoke to Deepdale for Championship action on Saturday. 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