Just seen another side of Han-Noah Massengo's game, chasing back to close down Scott Sinclair and shoulder-barge him off the ball.

Really impressive start from the teenage Bristol City midfielder.

Han-Noah Massengo half-volleys a pass into space on the right for Jack Hunt to bomb forward but the cross is hooked over to the far-post and it's dealt with.

Fine spot by the Bristol City midfielder though, Preston left plenty of space down that flank.

Preston playing 4-4-2 tonight. Safe, balanced, plenty of options.

Bristol City going for 3-5-2, plenty of onus on the wingbacks Tommy Rowe and Jack Hunt to provide the width.

Pitch glows bright green under the floodlights, but it's damp and slick.

So we're off. Geoff Eltringham is our referee tonight.

Plenty of fist-bumps all round between the two coaching staff.

Huddles done, gestures against racism and other forms of discrimination complete and committed to.

We are off. Bristol City have the ball.

Weather is utterly rotten in Lancashire tonight.

Tipping down, hanging in a breeze.

Bristol City are dowsed in it outside the regular tunnel, as Preston stroll out warm and dry.

Talk about cheeky gamesmanship eh?

Image source, BBC Sport

There's still hope for the teams a little further down the table, with even Preston not an insurmountable nine points behind Brentford.

Plenty of games remain, and it only takes a little run of wins to propel you up the table...

...the descent can be rapid too, should form slip at this stage.

Image source, BBC Sport

It's a concertina-ed league table in the Championship, with plenty of teams compressed with little between them in the vicinity of the top six.

Bristol City very much part of the mix-up, as you can see.

Just looking back at the stats for the earlier League One game - there was only one shot on target in the whole 90 minutes and that was to Hull. They lost 2-0.

Could be a quiz question in years to come. Maybe.

Image source, Rex Features

Preston make two changes from the midweek defeat at Barnsley. Out go Andrew Hughes, who's injured, and Emil Riis Jakobsen and in come Paul Huntington and Scott Sinclair.

Bristol City defender Zak Vyner comes back into the team, while Callum O'Dowda also starts.

Preston NE: Rudd, Fisher, Earl, Davies, Browne, Johnson, Gallagher, Huntington, Maguire, Barkhuizen, Sinclair.

Subs: Ripley, Storey, Rafferty, O'Reilly, Bayliss, Harrop, Holland-Wilkinson, Riis, Stockley.

Bristol City: Bentley, Hunt, Vyner, Kalas, Moore, Rowe, Nagy, Massengo, O'Dowda, Martin, Wells.

Subs: O'Leary, Mariappa, Towler, Smith, Bakinson, Edwards, Pearson, Bell, Semenyo.

If you're looking for two sides who can't find any consistency in the Championship this season, then look no further than tonight's two opponents - Preston and Bristol City.

Ninth-placed City have lost three of their past four, while Preston have tasted back-to-back defeats to leave them in mid-table obscurity.

These two sides don't do draws - just three for Bristol City in their 19 games, and two for Preston.

Image source, Rex Features

Right then, that's Hull versus Pompey wrapped and under the tree, gift-wrapped with a nice three-point bow for Kenny Jackett's men.

Now we switch our focus to the Championship, and Preston against Bristol City.

Let's get stuck in.

Image source, Rex Features

So, Portsmouth a point clear of Hull at the top of the League One table.

They can still be caught over the weekend and before Christmas, but it's a big result against a promotion rivals.

Hull without a win in four and three defeats in a row.

Two own-goals. Jacob Greaves and Josh Magennis.

What a strange game.

Hull sling a ball into the box that Pompey clear, but it's won back in midfield.

Keane Lewis-Potter takes a pass from a driving Greg Doherty, cuts in, digs the ball out and fires a shot wide.

Time nearly up.

Pompey's Michael Jacobs squirts a cross in that is hammered away from the danger zone by Jacob Greaves.

Ronan Curtis takes the ball into the corner and Reece Burke bundles in. The Pompey winger rolls about on the turf. Burke with a clumsy shove borne out of frustration.

Three minutes of added time.

Hull running out of time.

Portsmouth's containment has been exemplary. An exhibition in midfield screening.

Richie Smallwood terriers about Ronan Curtis in midfield and it pinged. He snaps and barks like the dog itself. Pompey free-kick and a flurry of changes.

Josh Magennis hits the bar for Hull! Great dink into the box by Greg Doherty and Magennis got his head to it but it smacks the woodwork.

Craig MacGillivray was floundering.

Hull dig in again but cannot make it work.

Marcus Harness and Ryan Williams go down for Portsmouth. Wondering if they're just buying themselves a breather?

Hull trying to get Tom Eaves into the game, but Rasmus Nicolaisen and Sean Raggett look very comfortable at the back.

Kenny Jackett chews his gum with the concentration of a man building a Spanish galleon out of matchsticks. He looks on intently.

His Portsmouth players are managing the game smartly.

Marcus Harness bends his cross to the back stick where a leaping Ronan Curtis cannot connect.

Image source, Rex Features

Craig MacGillivray has to come to claim a cross after Hull get in behind through Tom Eaves.

The big man holds it up, sets it back but the near-post delivery is swiped by the Pompey custodian.

Hull cross through Josh Emmanuel on the right and once again it's blocked.

It breaks to John Marquis, who just takes it as far forward as he can before being cul-de-sac-ed by Hull defenders...