AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be looking to avenge their first Championship defeat of the season when they face Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Goals from Ben Whiteman and Ali McCann earned the Lilywhites a 2-1 win at Vitality Stadium in November as the Cherries’ record-breaking 15-match unbeaten start came to an end.
Since then, North End have had a change of manager with former Plymouth Argyle and Bury boss Ryan Lowe replacing Frankie McAvoy at the start of December.
McAvoy parted company with the club just a month after he had plotted the Cherries’ downfall and having presided over a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough and a 1-1 draw against Fulham.
Lowe, who won promotion with the Pilgrims and the Shakers, tasted victory in his first game in charge with Alan Browne and Daniel Johnson on target in a 2-1 win over Barnsley.
While North End have recorded some excellent results on their travels, winning at Stoke, West Brom, Hull and Peterborough, their past six games at Deepdale have yielded five draws and a defeat.
Ahead of the clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Andy Bayes who covers the fortunes of North End in his capacity as sports editor for BBC Radio Lancashire.
PRESTON NORTH END PROFILE
Ground: Deepdale
Nickname: The Lilywhites
Manager: Ryan Lowe (appointed December 2021)
Club captain: Alan Browne
Current league position: 12th
Leading goalscorer 2021/22: Emil Riis Jakobsen (16 in all competitions)
Last game: Coventry City 1-1 Preston North End
Past six league results: WDWLDD
afcb.co.uk: How have North End fared since they ended the Cherries’ unbeaten start in November?
AB: It’s been a pretty mixed bag. Six victories, five defeats and eight draws.
A change of manager five games after the win at Bournemouth has brought about a different way of playing.
Away wins more frequent than home at the moment, but certainly a great deal more positivity.
afcb.co.uk: Ryan Lowe (pictured above) said he wanted to bring an attacking brand of football to the club – has he achieved that?
AB: I think if you were to ask the suppporters are they feeling more entertained? I think they would say that they are.
They tend to finish games strongly, perhaps don’t begin matches yet as quick out of the traps as the manager would like but he certainly wants his players on the front foot as much as possible.
afcb.co.uk: No home win in six games but four wins and two draws in seven on the road – can you put your finger on why?
AB: Not really, no. Some of the home matches really should have been home wins, for example Birmingham where they led until late on.
They were good against Forest at home recently, but didn’t quite get the breakthrough they needed.
The home defeat to Reading, I think it’s safe to say is the poorest performance and result.
afcb.co.uk: Tell us a little about loan signing Cameron Archer (pictured above)?
AB: He looks a player who has a really bright future in the game. Three of his four goals have come away from home and he’s a constant threat.
I would not be surprised to see him as a regular in the Aston Villa matchday squad next squad.
He’s quick, plays on the shoulder and is deceptively strong at holding off centre-backs.
afcb.co.uk: Who is North End’s rising star?
AB: In terms of the young players who have made an impact on the first team, you’d have to mention Archer and another loanee Sepp van den Berg (pictured above), who is in his second loan spell from Liverpool.
At the age of 20, he’s been excellent on the right of the North End back three.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either injured or suspended against the Cherries?
AB: Patrick Bauer (pictured above) is likely to miss out injured and fellow centre-back Liam Lindsay is banned. It looks like a straight choice between Bambo Diaby and Paul Huntington to come in.
Greg Cunningham and Tom Barkhuizen, who have both played largely wing-back when called on this season, are also out.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
AB: North End are long overdue a home win. A lot of fans will be looking forward to seeing Ben Pearson again.
Bournemouth seem to have the knack of scoring late, so it could be a good game. I’m going to go for Preston North End 2-1 Bournemouth.
You can follow Andy on Twitter – @AndyBayes
Officials: Matthew Donohue (referee), Philip Dermott (assistant), James Wilson (assistant), Darren Bond (fourth official).
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