Lancashire

Jack Bridge
Fan Writer & Commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Comeback spirit.

There are games where you hear the final whistle and just know - this day could be a turning point.

Friday night under the lights at Deepdale was one of those. A breathless 3-2 comeback victory over Sheffield United gave us everything: drama, chaos, and fight in classic Championship style.

For 15 frantic minutes, we looked rattled. Sheffield United struck twice early, and, in manager Paul Heckingbottom's words, "we had brain freeze" - but that spell was short-lived.

The Lilywhites found their backbone before the break with a superb finish from Lewis Dobbin, grabbed an extremely lucky equaliser, and never looked back. Daniel Jebbison's brilliant finish made it three, and Deepdale erupted.

These moments, when a team refuses to fold and rallies the crowd behind them, are what Preston's history is built on. I still reminisce about games under the lights, where North End and Deepdale find something special – Friday night was another shining example.

Having listened intently to Heckingbottom now for around 15 months, we know he's building a mentality in the squad. Where previously, if the team found themselves 2-0 down, they'd have rolled over and had their bellies tickled – well that attitude is gone... long gone.

The siege mentality and competitiveness is starting to bear fruit. It's us versus everyone and I absolutely love it.

Heckingbottom and his players will not get too high by this win, nor would they have got too low with the two defeats in the six days before the Sheffield United match. Their focus moves on to Southampton next weekend.

Dobbin, still settling in, turned provider, linking well with Andy Vukcevic, Alfie Devine and Jebbison. The new faces are starting to spark, with Vukcevic and Jebbison's connection on display for the winner and young Harrison Armstrong doing the unseen work that makes the difference.

BBC Radio Lancashire's Steve Eyre spoke at the end of last season about how the North End squad had a lack of pace and a lack of ability to get to the end of the pitch – the summer recruitment looks to have gone a long way to fixing those concerns.

Of course, it's not all sunshine: recent injuries have tested our depth, with Ali McCann breaking his arm last week and Brad Potts hit by a setback in his recovery.

With senior figures like Robbie Brady and Will Keane also sidelined, it has been next-man-up, yet the replacements have shown the grit and nous this club is famous for and nobody could question the desire all over the pitch.

We're still chasing consistency, just two wins in eight before Friday, and a narrow defeat to Birmingham City midweek stung, but this was a real statement win and puts us back in the thick of the play-off hunt.

The mood is rising, hope is building, and for every knock and scare, Preston North End now have the ability to fight back.

It's not just something stirring at Deepdale; it's gaining momentum one game at a time.

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire Sport Editor

Image source, Getty Images

Preston North End are likely to find out on Monday how long midfielder Ali McCann will be out of action for after breaking his arm in last Tuesday's home defeat by Birmingham City.

McCann sat out North End's 3-2 victory over Sheffield United on Friday, where Paul Heckingbottom named eight substitutes instead of nine due to a lengthy injury list.

Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire on McCann: "He's broken his arm, he did it on Tuesday night. He had an x-ray, it was really sore. He's got his arm in a sling. He's seeing a specialist on Monday."

North End are already missing Brad Potts, Will Keane, Jordan Thompson and Robbie Brady.

The quartet have not featured at all this season due to injury while Pol Valentin has been another absentee in recent weeks and the Lilywhites also picked up two more injury issues against the Blades in defenders Lewis Gibson and Andrija Vukcevic .

Both sustained muscular injuries and will be assessed before Saturday's visit to Southampton.

The North End boss feels that the Championship schedule is responsible.

"We want tackles in the game but everything is a foul now and everything is player safety yet they'll flog you to death with three games in six days," he said.

"That's the frustrating thing with the powers that be which is nonsense when they're saying 'we don't want tackles because of players injuries.'

"It's not just us, you look at all the other clubs and that is a direct consequence of the schedule."

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Wolves and Burnley.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Richard: Wolves have identity, which the manager says we need. I'm not sure why people say we don't. We play, pick the ball out of the net and lose. That's an identity. I feel really bad for Vitor. He saved us last year, but things keep going wrong. Something has to change…but not sure changing the manager is always the best option.

Tony: Terrible match. Neither side were impressive, but Burnley deserved their win. O'Neil got the sack for less. Very unimpressive.

Anon: Lacking creativity and any real goal scorer. The Championship is the only destination now for Wolves.

Burnley fans

Neil: Excellent performance despite a highly dubious penalty; we stayed strong and deserved to win.

David: Apart from the win, the important thing is that they are consistently scoring goals, which has been missing in the past.

John: The game should have been over by half time. The finish from Flemming was incredible for Burnley's first. Wolves took advantage of that and looked much stronger in the second half. The Dubravka save right at the death was amazing.

Pundits Danny Murphy and Theo Walcott join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City

• Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 2-3 Burnley

• Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest

• Everton 0-3 Tottenham

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The explosion of relief and celebration from the Burnley bench said it all.

Substitutes and staff burst down the touchline after Lyle Foster's late winner secured a first away win of the season.

They had ridden their luck in the second half after losing their comfortable lead as Wolves rallied and threatened to complete their comeback.

But the Clarets held firm and look much better equipped to make a fight of staying up this season.

Back-to-back wins - the first time they have done that in the Premier League for over three years - also lifts them eight points clear of Wolves.

Aside from a 5-1 thrashing at Manchester City and the opening day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, Scott Parker's side have not been outclassed.

Late defeats by Manchester United and Liverpool were agonising, and they put up a fight at Aston Villa at the start of October.

But by beating Sunderland, Leeds and Wolves this season, the Clarets are doing exactly what is necessary, winning against their more direct rivals, which will be the key to survival.

Burnley boss Scott Parker spoke to BBC's Match of the Day after victory against Wolves: "It was dramatic at the end, and I am ecstatic with the result.

"The game started incredibly for us with some huge quality in how we play. The Premier League can do that to you sometimes, and we were disappointed to come in 2-2 at half-time. At the end, a bit of quality gets us the winner. An incredible finish from Lyle and the assist from Hannibal - the weight of the pass and detail.

"Back-to-back wins is pretty massive for us and our first away win. It's something we need to build on and will bring confidence to such a young team. A massive win for us.

"We have been hugely competitive this year. We scored in the dying seconds today; in other games, we have conceded in the dying seconds. We probably earned the right to get that today.

"I am immensely proud of this group. They have got something about them."

On Zian Flemming's goals: "Both goals were brilliant goals for us. I am pleased for him, he was crucial for us last year, and he has not been in the team. He made his start last week and two goals today. I am delighted for him."

Did you know?

• With today's victory, Burnley have now won successive Premier League games for the first time since April 2022 – a three-match run which also included victory over Wolves.

• Kyle Walker made his 397th Premier League start in this match, the joint most of any full-back in competition history alongside Leighton Baines (also 397).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Burnley's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies