Source: FOOTYMAD
Preston vs Portsmouth Preview
Nugent returns to his old stamping ground. Pompey take on the only side in the Championship to have lost their first two league matches when they travel to Deepdale to play Preston.Team NewsDarren Ferguson can welcome back key defender Sean St. Ledger following a hamstring injury and he is likely to replace Wayne Brown who is now absent with a calf strain.John Utaka is a major doubt for this game having not trained at all during the week after limping off against Reading. This injury should be offset by the return of Tommy Smith, who is available again after a hip problem.The MatchI see this match following one of two scripts.The first is that Pompey go to Deepdale and play out a dire goalless draw with the hosts in the pouring rain during the 90 minutes of normal time, only to concede a scrappy late winner and lose to the only side without a point in the division, sending all the travelling Pompey fans back home with a nasty frown on their faces.The second is that Pompey go to Deepdale and play out a dire goalless draw with the hosts in the pouring rain during the 90 minutes of normal time, only for Preston's former hero in David Nugent to bundle home a winner for Pompey, sending all the travelling Pompey fans back home with a massive smile on their faces.It may only be three weeks into the new season but there is already some pressure going into this one. Should Pompey lose it's likely that they will be propping up the Championship table by the end of Saturday evening and everyone will be saying that us fans are going to suffer a second consecutive relegation.I've tipped Preston to go down this year, simply because (St. Ledger aside) I do not see a single standout performer in their team and I think the circumstances around the club (having just recently survived a winding-up order) are almost as bad as those surrounding Pompey. Darren Ferguson definitely has his work cut out and I believe that if Pompey are to have a comfortable season then we cannot afford to lose this game. That statement seems a bit silly with the campaign only two games old but I'll stick by it should we be on the wrong end of the result tomorrow.So c'mon Nuge, everyone will forget about those awful misses during the season so far if you can bag a meaningful goal against the club you made a name for yourself!Predicted Starting Line-UpsPrestonGK: Andy LONERGANRB: Billy JONESCB: Sean ST. LEDGERCB: Chris MORGANLB: Callum DAVIDSONRM: Paul PARRYCM: Paul COUTTSCM: Matty JAMESLM: Keith TREACYCF: Jon PARKINCF: Paul HAYESPompeyGK: Jamie ASHDOWNRB: Hayden MULLINSCB: Aaron MOKOENACB: Ibrahima SONKOLB: Carl DICKINSONCM: Marc WILSONCM: Michael BROWNCM: Richard HUGHESRWF: Tommy SMITHLWF: Nadir CIFTCICF: David NUGENTLast Time: Preston North End 0 Portsmouth 1 (FA Cup Round 5 - 17/02/2008)If any game summed up our luck during the 2008 FA Cup run, it would be this one. Having been vastly outplayed by the hosts, who had seen Neil Mellor's penalty saved by David James, most Pompey fans were prepared for a replay.However, in the last minute of stoppage time, Darren Carter inexplicably lashed the ball into his own net from a corner and Pompey had stolen a victory that would take them into the quarter-finals of the tournament they'd go on to win.My PredictionAs mentioned earlier, I see this game going one of two ways and I'll be optimistic and plump for the second option. It's about time Dave started paying back the huge transfer fee that was shelled out for him three years ago, and there is no better way to start than against his former club.Preston North End 0 Portsmouth 1
