Championship: Relive Preston's thrilling win at Brentford & Birmingham's draw at Stoke

Summary

Preston come from two goals down to win 4-2 at Brentford
Maguire and Potts score after Sinclair brace for visitors
Toney double gave Bees two-goal lead
Late Powell goal gives Stoke draw with Birmingham
Dean headed Blues in front

Live Reporting

Rob Stevens and James Law

GOAL: Brentford 2-2 Prestonpublished at 15:23 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Scott Sinclair (60 mins)
Image source, PA Media
And now Preston have a deserved equaliser!
The Lilywhites have been on top with a spell of possession and pull the home defence one way and then the other.
Andrew Hughes steals the ball off Bryan Mbeumo before firing in a cross from the left.
Scott Sinclair does well to bring it down in the six yard box before finishing from a narrow angle.
That's two goals for him today as well.
CLOSE!published at 15:22 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke 0-0 Birmingham
That's almost an absolute beauty - I thought it was in!
Stoke striker Steven Fletcher works the ball onto his left foot more than 20 yards out and bends one just wide of the far post.
Neil Etheridge looked beaten in the Birmingham goal.
Postpublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 2-1 Preston
Preston carve out another opportunity.
This time a cross from the left is controlled well by Brad Potts at the back post.
He turns and strikes left-footed, but he can't get his effort on target.
Brentford are looking a bit rattled at the back.
GOAL: Brentford 2-1 Prestonpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Scott Sinclair (52 mins)
Image source, PA Media
And there is a response!
A Preston move looks to be breaking down as Alan Browne doesn't have support on the right.
But Joe Rafferty eventually arrives and hoists a cross to the back post in search of Patrick Bauer.
The defender heads the ball back down to Scott Sinclair, who turns the ball in from seven yards out.
All of a sudden, the visitors are back in it...
Postpublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 2-0 Preston
Preston were sixth in the Championship table when the 2019-20 season restarted following the coronavirus lockdown.
But the Lilywhites' form has been rather non-existent since then.
They have won just two of their past 15 league matches, and look to be heading to another defeat here unless they find some inspiration from somewhere.
KICK-OFFpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 2-0 Preston
Preston get the second half started.
Can the visitors find a route back into the match?
If not, it'll be four games without a win to start the Championship season for Alex Neil's men.
Postpublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke 0-0 Birmingham
Ivan Sanchez blazes one over from range for Birmingham as they once again look to gain an early advantage.
Stoke - and in particular Harry Souttar - have done a lot of defending in the early stages.
Postpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke 0-0 Birmingham
Image source, PA Media
The hosts have had to defend several crosses into their penalty area in the opening few minutes, as Birmingham start the sharper.
I have a feeling it could be quite attritional out there.
KICK-OFFpublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke 0-0 Birmingham
We're off and running at The Bet365 Stadium.
Stoke looking for a third consecutive win while Birmingham have an unbeaten Championship record to protect.
We'll still be keeping across the second half of Brentford-Preston, of course.
Image source, .
Team newspublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke v Birmingham (15:00 BST)
Image source, Rex Features
Birmingham make one change from last weekend's draw with Rotherham - Jon Toral coming in for striker Scott Hogan.
Josh Dacres-Cogley takes the place on the bench vacated by Angus Medina.
The Birmingham players are wearing special training tops and black armbands to pay tribute to young Blues fan Tommy, who passed away this week.
Birmingham XI: Etheridge, Colin, Dean, Friend, Pedersen, Sunjic, Clayton, Ivan Sanchez, Bela, Toral, Jutkiewicz.
Substitutes: Andres, Roberts, Crowley, Hogan, Gardner, Dacres-Cogley, Boyd-Munce.
Team newspublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke v Birmingham (15:00 BST)
Image source, PA Media
Michael O’Neill makes seven changes from Stoke's Carabao Cup win at Aston Villa on Thursday, but just one change from last weekend's Championship victory over Preston.
Josh Tymon comes in at left wing-back for his first league start.
Stoke XI: Davies, Chester, Souttar, Fox, Smith, Mikel, Clucas, Tymon, Oakley-Boothe, Gregory, Fletcher.
Substitutes: Butland, Batth, McClean, Brown, Powell, Campbell, Thompson.
Stoke aim to continue recent formpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Stoke v Birmingham (15:00 BST)
Image source, Reuters
Stoke have started the Championship season sluggishly but won their last game at Preston and followed it up with victory away at Premier League Aston Villa on Thursday to book a quarter-final tie with Tottenham.
Meanwhile, visitors Birmingham are unbeaten after three games, with two draws since an opening-day win over Brentford.
Will the extra rest this week do good for Aitor Karanka's Blues?
HALF-TIMEpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 2-0 Preston
Image source, Rex Features
Two goals from Ivan Toney have given Brentford control of the first Championship game of the day.
Time to focus on Stoke versus Birmingham, as that one kicks off rather soon.
Postpublished at 14:49 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 2-0 Preston
We'll have three added minutes at the end of the first half.
Sean Maguire tests Luke Daniels with a low shot from outside the area, but it's a routine save for the home keeper.
The 2-0 scoreline will be somewhat harsh on Preston at half-time.
GOAL: Brentford 2-0 Prestonpublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Ivan Toney (43 mins)
Image source, PA Media
After being under pressure for the past 10 minutes, Brentford double their lead from a counter-attack.
A cross-field ball forward from Sergi Canos is collected by Bryan Mbeumo on the right and he threads it through to Ivan Toney.
The striker, released one-on-one, takes a couple of touches before stroking the ball past Declan Rudd.
A composed finish from the former Peterborough man, and that's his second of the game.
Postpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 1-0 Preston
Preston look like they are mounting a decent attack, but Bryan Mbeumo stops the momentum with a foul on Sean Maguire midway inside the Bees half.
It's a tactical foul by the Frenchman, who somehow manages to escape a booking.
Postpublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 1-0 Preston
Image source, PA Media
Preston are closing down the Bees at every opportunity and not allowing the hosts to settle before half-time.
Sean Maguire tries to flick the ball onto Brad Potts just outside the Brentford area, but the ball is just behind the Preston winger and the move breaks down.
Postpublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 1-0 Preston
Image source, PA Media
Great technique from Alan Browne, as the Preston captain controls a high ball on his thigh and then volleys goalwards.
However, his effort is straight at Bees keeper Luke Daniels.
The hosts are not too comfortable at the moment.
Postpublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 1-0 Preston
Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo has been very quiet so far today.
The Frenchman has just his first meaningful interaction, blazing a cut-back from Sergi Canos wildly off target.
There are 15 minutes left to the break.
Postpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 4 October 2020
Brentford 1-0 Preston
It's been a good few minutes for Preston, this.
North End have been pressing well and causing the Brentford defence a few issues.
Alan Browne gets to the byline but his low cross is cut out by centre-back Ethan Pinnock.
Bees skipper Pontus Jansson heads away the resulting corner.