[themaclad]

Preston Nrth End 2 Keane 2 Bristol City 0

PNE line-up: Woodman; Potts (Brady, 79), Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne (Frøkjær, 45), Whiteman, McCann; Holmes (Riis, 45), Osmajić (Keane, 45), Millar. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Stewart, Ledson, Best.

Bristol City line-up: O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Williams, Gardner-Hickman (James, 75); Bell (Wells, 75), Knight (King, 89), Mehmeti (McCorie, 75); Conway (Cornick, 89). Subs not used: Bajic, Roberts, Knight-Lebel.

Attendance: 14,929 (661 Bristol City fans).

Referee: Mr S Barrott.

A wins a win, it keeps Mr Fantastic in post for a bit longer, in the end deserved the win although the home team did put in the worst first half preformenace for many a year.
First things first, a block of five rows were I sit in my comfy seat had a yellow card attached to them, apparently someone had heard some fruity language probably at the Wednesday match and reported it hence 30 of us were on the naughty step, bloody grass.
The first half was mind numbingly dire, City probably should have been ahead, however fortunately every chance they had fell to Jason Knight, he missed the lot, tame shot when they sliced through our defence when McCann was overwhelmed in midfield, he was denied by a great save from Woodman and then headed wide when probably should have hit the target.
We offered little in the first 30 minutes, the players were flat, the home support were all waiting for the inevitable of the home net rippling as the ball hits it. Never came though, took us about 30 minutes to figure out that City were just as bad as us. Tame Hughes effort at a corner, Millar denied by O'Leary's legs. The visiting keeper earlier had nearly dropped his side in when Osmajic chipped the keeper who was 25 yards from goal, the effort went miles wide.
Three substitutions at half time and glory be all three forward thining, Keane, Riis and Frokjaer, instantly better Keane denied by a great save by O'Leary, he then misses one from close in although to be fair it wasn't an easy chance.
One effort from City narrowly wide and then we score, massive assist from City keeper O'Leary who was on a stroll outside his area when Keane nipped in to stealthe ball and roll it into an empty net.
In truth were not really troubled after that, the second came about 10 minutes later Riis who is getting fitter by the game after his year long injury hammers a cross from the right to tyhe near past, Keane first to the ball and it's game over. A clean sheet, I know we've finally played someone who couldn't score against us.
Win takes pressure from Lowe and bizarre as it may seem we are only two points off the play offs having only won 5 times in the last 22 games.
Take the win off to Elland Road next week, now that might be a slightly different game.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe:

"We went into the staff room at half time and I said I needed to make bold decisions. It's a tough decision to take people off at half time, your captain included, plus a senior pro (Duane Holmes) and Milly (Osmajic) but I felt we needed more power at the top end of the pitch.

"I felt whoever scored first would go on and win the game and I wanted it to be us, so we changed shape and went on the front foot."I said to the boys 'If you're going to be waiting for something to happen, and they score, your backs are against the wall', and lo and behold the decisions paid off.

"Credit to the players. Mads (Frokjaer) when he came on the pitch, and Emil (Riis) just coming back from a long lay-off, and I thought they were fantastic. We didn't want, in the second half, to be going out and it be flat again, and the substitutions changed it.

"The atmosphere was bubbling more, the intensity was more, we were more on the front foot and putting balls in behind, and as you've seen we went and scored two good goals."

Bristol City manager Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:

"In the first half there was a lot of good but it's turning that good into outcomes, which we didn't do. Taylor had a terrific opportunity, Knighty had a couple of chances off set-pieces and I thought we had good control for large periods of the first half.

"Bar set-pieces, we didn't feel too threatened but then they made three changes at half-time which had a big impact, and we didn't respond to that well enough in the second half.

"We created enough to be ahead at half-time, but the ones we conceded were too easy. It was just a bit more directness, which we didn't deal with.

"We have to work hard to ensure we create more, but it's about being braver. It's that ruthless edge, that composure and quality around the penalty box to make it count."