MATCH PREVIEW: PRESTON NORTH END V BURNLEY

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Clarets take on the Lilywhites live on Sky Sports

2025-02-14T19:00:00.000Z

MATCH PREVIEW: PRESTON NORTH END V BURNLEY

Clarets take on the Lilywhites live on Sky Sports

2025-02-14T19:00:00.000Z

Clarets take on the Lilywhites live on Sky Sports

Burnley are back on the road this weekend, as Scott Parker's side travel to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon to take on Lancashire rivals Preston North End.

The Clarets head to Preston in fine form having won their last three games and are currently on a 21 match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Parker's men are third in the Sky Bet Championship table prior to the lunchtime kick-off and a win against North End would lift the Clarets back into the automatic promotion places.

Preston currently sit 15th in the league table and have lost just once in their last eight games in all competitions.

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How to watch

The trip to Deepdale is a complete sell-out and no tickets are available to buy anywhere online or at the ticket office.

The game is available to watch in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football and to find out the EFL rightsholders countries showing the game live click here.

Live audio commentary will be available as usual via Clarets+ from 12:15pm on the day.

Full match highlights, goals and interviews will be available to view after the match on Clarets+ and across all social media channels.

Click here to view all our Clarets+ packages.

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The opposition

Preston are competing in their 10th consecutive Championship season this year, following promotion back to the second tier in 2015 following a play-off final win over Swindon Town at Wembley.

Despite the Lilywhites finishing in the Championship play-off places three times across 2005-2009, North End were relegated to League One in 2011 following a 10-year absence from the third tier.

After two disappointing campaigns upon return to League One, Preston secured a play-off place once again in the 2013/14 season, but lost to eventual winners Rotherham United in the semi-finals over two legs.

However, promotion was sealed the following year as Preston were winners at Wembley against Swindon Town, as Jermaine Beckford’s hat-trick ensured the Lilywhites were back in the Championship.

A 7th place finish in the 2017/18 season is the highest since their return and 14th place the lowest, with many mid-table finishes in-between the last nine years.

North End currently sit 15th in the Championship, with their win at Norwich City moving them to 40 points on Tuesday night and Saturday's opponents have lost just once in their last eight matches in all competitions.

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In the home dugout

Paul Heckingbottom's first role in coaching came with Barnsley in the 2014/15 season, with the former Tykes defender originally working with the development squad, before being appointed caretaker boss of the first team for three games in February 2015.

A year later, Heckingbottom took over in a caretaker role once again following Lee Johnson's departure to Bristol City and his successful spell in charge saw the Yorkshireman win the Football League Trophy at Wembley and gain promotion to the Championship via the play-offs, which led to him being appointed Head Coach permanently.

Following exactly two years as Barnsley boss, Heckingbottom departed Oakwell to join Leeds United as Head Coach, but a brief four month spell at Elland Road saw him part ways in the summer of 2018 and it was announced he would then take charge of SPL side Hibernian in February 2019.

The former Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday man spent nine months at Easter Road, including a Manager of the Month award and Edinburgh derby win over Hearts at Tynecastle, before leaving in November of that year.

Heckingbottom then had a lengthy break from management, before joining Sheffield United as U23s Head Coach in July 2020 and following Chris Wilder's dismissal in March 2021, he was appointed as interim boss of the Blades' first team initially and then took on the role of manager in November.

United missed out on promotion back to the Premier League after suffering defeat in the play-off semi-finals to Nottingham Forest, but an impressive campaign in 2022/23 saw the Blades return to the top-flight in 2nd place, finishing behind the Clarets.

Heckingbottom's departure from Bramall Lane was announced in December last year, before being appointed Preston manager in August 2024.

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Last time we met

05/10/2024 - Burnley 0 - 0 Preston North End

Burnley: Trafford, Estève, Egan-Riley, Humphreys (Roberts HT), Pires, Cullen (Laurent 86), Brownhill, Hannibal (Flemming 72), Koleosho, Anthony (Sarmiento 81), Foster

Unused substitutes: Hladky, Egan, Agyei, Rodriguez, Massengo

Preston North End: Woodman, Whiteman, Lindsay, McCann, Riis, Frokjaer (Holmes 75), Brady(Thordarson 86), Storey, Hughes (Whatmough 88), Kesler-Hayden (Ledson 90+5), Potts

Unused substitutes: Cornell, Whatmough, Stewart, Okkels, Best, Bowler

Attendance: 20,816

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What Scott Parker said

“It’s a tough game. It’s an early kick-off on a Saturday, where it’s going to be a typical derby game.

“I don't know exactly how I'd probably vision it in my head at this present moment in time and how it's going to look, but it will probably be scrappy in certain moments.

“We're going to need to bring our quality like we did against Hull, try and execute and get the three points.

“I think it will probably be quite similar to the last time we played a derby game [the 1-0 win against Blackburn at Ewood in January].

“Our travelling fans have been nothing short of incredible this year. There'll be a few more travelling at the weekend given it’s not too far to travel, but we're going to need every bit of them to get behind this team. Hopefully, we can come away with the win.”