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Things have changed for our closest Championship rivals since they beat us at the Turf in that controversial game in December. We went into that game in eight place in the table just a point behind the play offs, but Preston were fourteen points below us and were two points adrift at the bottom of the league.
They have since reduced the points difference between us to eight and are now in sixteenth place in the table. They may be only four points above the drop zone but they are now fourteen points off the bottom. Since that day in December only five teams have amassed more points than North End, one of the division's form teams.
Manager Alan Irvine made good use of the January transfer window. He made a double swoop early in the month with the captures of Chris Brown from Norwich and former Claret Richard Chaplow from West Brom and by the end of the month had added Michael Hart from Aberdeen and former Burnley youth player Neal Trotman who cost an initial £500,000 from Oldham.
Grzegorz Szamotulski arrived from Dundee United at the beginning of February and early this month he strengthened his squad further with the loan signings of Craig Beattie from West Brom and Watford's Tamas Priskin although Beattie has gone back to the Hawthorns after suffering a hamstring injury in his first game.
Preston's recent form is good. They've suffered only one defeat in their last seven games and the tame 0-0 draw at Bloomfield Road last week in the West Lancs derby brought to an end a run of three successive victories. They really do look a different proposition to the team we faced back in December.
The last time we won at Deepdale Arthur Gnohere was the hero. That was in December 2001 and since we've suffered four defeats and won a point from a 0-0 draw in the 2005/06 season.
It has never been the best of grounds for us, although I have seen two other league wins there in 1971 and 1998 and who can forget the Sherpa Van win in 1988 that saw us go to Wembley and Preston miss out.
Now is the time we need that next Deepdale victory, three points this afternoon will see us move up to seventh in the table even if it is only for a couple of hours, but no matter what it will mean we are very much closer to the play offs tonight than we are now.
Despite the continued absence of such as Liam Chilvers and Kevin Nicholls with achilles and knee problems respectively, Irvine has a stronger squad available to him today than he had last week with the return to fitness of defender Michael Hart.
Hart has come through two reserve games but it seems likely that he'll have to settle for a place on the bench where there could also be a place for Richard Chaplow who hasn't featured for almost four weeks through injury.
Irvine is expected to stick with the same eleven who started last week at Blackpool and if so they will line up: Andy Lonergan, Billy Jones, Youl Mawene, Sean St. Ledger, Callum Davidson, Chris Sedgwick, Paul McKenna, Darren Carter, Simon Whaley, Chris Brown, Tamas Priskin. Subs from: Chris Neal, Michael Hart, Lewis Neal, Neal Trotman, Richard Chaplow, Neil Mellor.
For Owen Coyle there are expected to be two enforced changes with both Stanislav Varga and Ade Akinbiyi expected to be ruled out. Varga could be out for up to ten days after suffering a foot injury that could require an injection whilst Akinbiyi has been suffering with illness and injury and he shouldn't really have played last week.
The good news up front is that Andrew Cole is available again whilst at the back it will be a choice between Steven Caldwell and David Unsworth. Andrew Cole will play up front whilst in midfield Chris McCann could feature although at best he would probably be on the bench.
Joey Gudjonsson was preferred in the midfield last week but he could be back on the bench for this one with either Alan Mahon or Mark Randall starting.
I think our team could be: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty, Andrew Cole, Robbie Blake. Subs from: Brian Jensen, David Unsworth, Chris McCann, Joey Gudjonsson, Mark Randall, John Spicer, Steve Jones.
Sixteen league games without a win and we were faced with the prospect of a trip to Deepdale to take on a Preston side looking certainties for the play offs and very much fighting for an automatic promotion place.
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Both John McGreal and Andy Gray were ruled out. McGreal was injured and wouldn't play for Burnley again whilst Gray missed out with illness. With a shortage of defenders again it meant Chris McCann played at the back whilst Kyle Lafferty partnered Ade Akinbiyi up front.
More significantly Joey Gudjonsson was rested after spending a lot of time to-ing and fro-ing to Iceland and back and in his place Eric Djemba-Djemba got a starting place for the first time since his red card at Derby.
We'd have been in front but for a breathtaking save from Andy Lonergan right in front of the Burnley fans. He somehow got to a Kyle Lafferty header to keep it out via the post. We continued to play well and had the upper hand but as had so often happened during the poor run we fell behind.
David Nugent got the goal and you sensed it wouldn't be our day. To make matters worse Steven Caldwell was injured but thankfully he was able to carry on to half time as Graham Branch warmed up on the touchline for at least ten minutes.
There were no changes at half time but less than three minutes in Caldwell had to be withdrawn. Michael Duff went into the centre, Wade Elliott went to right back (and we know what happened at Southend four days earlier when we were forced to make that change) and Branchy went into the midfield.
It proved to Branchy's last ever Burnley game and he almost inspired a fight back with a fantastic right foot (yes right foot) shot from just outside the box. It beat Lonergan all ends up but cannoned back off the bar.
You knew then it wasn't going to be our day and it wasn't. Not long after Preston doubled the lead and that was that, another defeat, the winless run extended. It was better, but we needed points, thankfully they weren't too far away.
The teams were;
Preston: Andy Lonergan, Graham Alexander, Sean St. Ledger, Liam Chilvers, Matt Hill, Frank Songo'o (Patrick Agyemang 72), Chris Sedgwick (Adam Nowland 89), Callum Davidson, Danny Pugh, David Nugent, Brett Ormerod (Danny Dichio 80). Subs not used: Wayne Henderson, Seyfo Soli.
Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell (Graham Branch 47), Chris McCann, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor (John Spicer 76), Eric Djemba-Djemba, Steve Jones, Kyle Lafferty, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Garreth O'Connor, Joey Gudjonsson.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1987/88 | SV | h | 0-0 | 15,680 | . |
| . | . | a | 3-1aet | 17,592 | Oghani Hoskin Comstive |
1989/90 | LD | a | 0-3 | 5,241 | . |
1990/91 | LD | a | 1-6 | 12,016 | Bray |
1992/93 | 2 | a | 0-2 | 7,209 | . |
| . | . | h | 2-0 | 12,648 | Heath(2) |
1993/94 | LC | a | 2-1 | 6,283 | Davis Eyres |
. | . | h | 4-1 | 9,346 | Deary Eyres Francis Russell |
. | AG | a | 1-2 | 4,485 | Eyres |
1996/97 | 2 | a | 1-1 | 12,652 | Nogan |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 16,186 | Barnes |
1997/98 | 2 | h | 1-1 | 13,809 | Cooke |
. | . | a | 3-2 | 12,263 | Payton Cooke N Moore |
. | AW | h | 1-0 | 10,079 | Payton |
1998/99 | 2 | a | 1-4 | 15,888 | Eastwood |
| . | AW | h | 0-1 | 3,366 | . |
| . | 2 | h | 0-1 | 11,561 | . |
1999/2000 | 2 | a | 0-0 | 13,708 | . |
| . | . | h | 0-3 | 22,310 | . |
2000/01 | 1 | a | 1-2 | 17,355 | Moore |
| . | . | h | 3-0 | 16,591 | Moore Ball Little |
2001/02 | 1 | a | 3-2 | 20,370 | Gnohere(2) Little |
| . | . | h | 2-1 | 18,388 | I Moore Johnson |
2002/03 | 1 | a | 1-3 | 16,046 | Taylor |
| . | . | h | 2-0 | 12,245 | Blake Papadopoulos |
2003/04 | 1 | a | 3-5 | 18,802 | I Moore Gnohere Blake(pen) |
| . | . | h | 1-1 | 15,837 | Blake |
2004/05 | C | h | 2-0 | 15,318 | Blake(2) |
| . | . | a | 0-1 | 18,202 | . |
2005/06 | C | a | 0-0 | 17,139 | . |
| . | . | h | 0-2 | 17,220 | . |
2006/07 | C | h | 3-2 | 14,871 | J O'Connor St. Ledger(og) Gray |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 17,666 | . |
2007/08 | C | h | 2-3 | 14,829 | Lafferty McCann |