Burnley Vs Preston North End
Coca-Cola Championship Saturday 27th September 2008 3PM KO
This hotly contested Lancashire derby will need no introduction to those involved and will have been one of the very first games both sets of fans will have looked for when the fixtures were announced back in June. Although the Preston/Burnley derby is not traditionally considered as each team's primary derby with Preston also baiting the blood of Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers at the top of Burnley's list, it has become more and more heated during recent years. This is down to the simple fact that these two sides have met more often than they have with their so called first derbies in recent seasons and have put on some very close encounters. The two 3-2 score lines at Turf Moor springs to mind for example.
Preston visit Turf Moor on the back of recording their first defeat of the season as their unbeaten run came to an abrupt end against top of the table Wolves on Saturday. Burnley meanwhile are now showing what they are capable of after enduring a slow start to the campaign. Owen Coyle did add a few faces to his squad in the summer and so perhaps those in question are just starting to gel. Whatever the reason is, the Clarets are now unbeaten in their last five league games having recorded three wins and two draws.
However, any manager will tell you that when derby day comes, the form guide goes straight out the window. Take last year's fixture as a prime example; Preston were rock bottom whereas Burnley had their sights on the play-offs in 8th place and we all know how that game turned out don't we?
Previous Meetings
Last year when Preston visited Turf Moor, the two sides put on a fantastic match filled with goals, sending's off, penalty controversy and much more - as you would expect from a local derby. Burnley took the lead through Kyle Lafferty before Chris Sedgwick equalised just before half time. A rejuvenated Neil Mellor put the visitors ahead with a neatly taken goal only for Chris McCann to equalise shortly after. However it was Simon Whaley who sealed the points for Preston after he hit a rocket from the edge of the box that nestled in the bottom corner, sending the travelling Preston fans into raptures. 3-2 was the final score and the perfect way to bounce back after a disappointing home defeat to Blackpool the week previous.
Later on last season, Preston recorded the double of Burnley for the first time in nearly ten years when they saw the Clarets off in a 2-1 win at Deepdale. Chris Brown and Tamas Priskin got the goals for Preston that day. The aforementioned double will have left a bitter taste in the Clarets' mouth and so Burnley will no doubt be seeking revenge and will be eager to put that right come Saturday.
Head to Head
Should Richard Chaplow play, which he is widely expected to, it will be interesting to see how he fares against his former teammate Chris McCann in the centre of the park. McCann netted for Burnley in the corresponding fixture last season so it will be Chaplow's job to stifle the Dublin born midfielder. Both are box to box players and both will be looking to get one over on a former teammate. A closer eye should be kept on these two.
Team News
Richard Chaplow is said to be fit in time for him to visit Turf Moor for the first time as a Preston player as is Chris Brown who has his sights set on a return to the first eleven. Callum Davidson is also available and could move in at left back.
For Burnley, on-loan defender Russell Anderson is not expected to feature after being stretchered off in the midweek win over Fulham in the Carling Cup after tweaking his knee ligaments. Michael Duff is set to deputise.