Will Keane scored Preston's first league goal for seven games
Will Keane’s goal ended Preston’s long league goal drought and proved enough to beat Luton as new manager Paul Heckingbottom made a winning start.
The striker converted a cross from Emil Riis to give North End their first Championship goal since 9 April and end a seven-match losing streak stretching back to last season.
Luton pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half but came up against some stern defence, as Elijah Adebayo was denied a penalty and Alfie Doughty twice went close to levelling.
The defeat leaves the Hatters, relegated from the Premier League last season, in 23rd with just one point from their opening three games after a heavy home defeat by Burnley and a goalless draw at Portsmouth.
Former Sheffield United manager Heckingbottom took charge of the squad on Tuesday following the departure of Ryan Lowe after a poor run of form that had seen Preston end last season with five straight defeats.
That run extended into the new season with a home defeat by Sheffield United on the opening weekend, and caretaker manager Mike Marsh also stepped down after they lost at Swansea last week.
Struggling Hatters
Opponents Luton have also had a difficult time since dropping back in the Championship but they made enough chances to win at Deepdale.
Shandon Baptiste was denied an almost certain goal by some excellent defending by Liam Lindsay and then sidefooted another chance wide before the home side went ahead.
It was a well-worked move as a neat backheel by Aston Villa loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden, making his full debut, freed Riis on the left side of the area and he picked out Keane for a sharp finish.
Luton stepped up their search for an equaliser after the break as Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman beat away Adebayo’s shot and Teden Mengi saw an opportunity deflected over the bar, before Doughty had one attempt blocked and fired another over.
But they could not find a way through and in the end, only a superb tackle by Luton debutant centre-back Mark McGuinness prevented Duane Holmes from adding a second.
Post-match reaction
Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:
“I’m delighted to be standing on a touchline again and watching a team perform. The result is the be-all and end-all, but it’s been a good few days leading up to this.
“It would have been unfair if they had nicked a goal in the last 10 minutes.
“This week has been about trying to get the message across about what I want, what represents me as a manager. I want us to be fearless without the ball and really aggressive to try to win it back and to be brave and try to pass the ball no matter what.
“There’s been a hangover from last season, a bit of negativity about the place, so it’s been about trying to get people to shed that.
“Creating chances and converting them has not been a strength. The goal itself was first-class, a bit of everything we have been working on.”
Luton manager Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
“It’s really frustrating. We had some really good opportunities in both halves and weren’t clinical enough in the final third after getting into really good positions. The final pass wasn’t right or we missed the target with the finish.
“We had 17 shots and only four on target and I put that down to some wasteful moments but also some really good defending by Preston who put in some brilliant blocks and kept us out.
“You don’t want to hear it when it’s a really good performance and we come away with nothing. We created enough chances to have scored at least one and take a point, and it probably should have been more.”
