Huddersfield Town 1-4 Preston North End: FLW report as Ryan Lowe’s side progress with ease in the League Cup | OneFootball

Preston North End finally got themselves amongst the goals, turning on the style against Huddersfield Town tonight and running out 4-1 winners in the League Cup.

Ryan Lowe’s side had failed to score in their opening two Championship fixtures, with two goalless draws against Wigan Athletic and Hull City.

Despite that, an average xG of 1.67 across those two games showed that North End carried some threat.

Tonight, they did from the first whistle.

Ryan Ledson fizzed a sixth minute shot on goal, which Lee Nicholls parried into Troy Parrott’s path. The Tottenham loanee converted off the post to get Preston up and running for the night.

Nicholls denied Parrott moments later and Brad Potts rattled a volley off the crossbar.

Playing like the weight of the world had been lifted from them with an early goal, Preston doubled their lead not long after.

The impressive Alvaro Fernandez danced his way into a crossing position on the left, squaring for Ali McCann to convert from close range.

11 minutes later, on the half hour, that same combination did for Huddersfield once more, as Fernandez crossed and McCann converted.

It was a first-half where everything Preston touched turned to goals. The only blemish was Man United loanee, Fernandez, hobbling off with an ankle injury shortly before the break.

Danny Schofield, who is still searching for his first win as Huddersfield boss, reacted by reverting to a 5-4-1 system. That, though, didn’t stem the tide.

Ben Woodburn smashed a shot onto Nicholls’ crossbar and, like Potts earlier in the game, was unlucky to see that not bounce into the net.

Preston didn’t have long to wait for their fourth, however, as Potts seized upon a loose Tom Lees pass into midfield, driving into the final third and finishing into Nicholls’ bottom corner.

There was more encouragement for Huddersfield following the introduction of Jack Rudoni, Sorba Thomas and Tino Anjorin from the bench, with the latter’s intelligent ball finished expertly by Jordan Rhodes heading into the final 20 minutes.

Freddie Woodman dealt with efforts from Thomas and Rudoni, as Anjorin continued to probe and cause problems.

That late Huddersfield flurry couldn’t take the gloss off what was a fine Preston performance. One that will, hopefully, open the floodgates for goals in the Championship.

For now, though, it’s into the next round of the League Cup after a performance that can only breed confidence.