Crazy Hat-Trick! | Preston North End v Sheffield United Extended Highlights

Halloween is done and dusted, but the Spooks have been around Deepdale for the last few months, sat on the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, Preston North End back on home soil, taking on Sheffield United this evening. It's been a torrid run of form and the arrival in September of Graham and Hunton hasn't done much to change the fortunes. of the home side. Sheffield United though, Chris Wilder believes that his team are certainly starting to enjoy their football again after a rocky start to the season. Business has certainly picked up in terms of finding points. They continue their unbeaten run of three games in the division this evening on the road. Goes down again, this time there's no free kick as the captain Hughes comes forward. It's four against four in the early doors here for Preston. Hughes lays it off. Vukovic sends it into the area, it's a swing and a miss, and it's an early goal, turned in by Leo Leroy, and Preston North End have the breakthrough inside two minutes, it's the perfect start for the hosts, and Deepdale. Good start as I mentioned there, can they keep it tight at the back, well they've done that, they've managed to steal the ball, Chong I think it is looking for a free kick, the referee waves it away, and Hughes steps in, down the left hand side, he's waiting for a little bit of support, slows it down, Vukovic on the overlap, fizzes the ball across there. An air shot and it just comes onto it, doesn't really switch off there, they don't match the bunch you can see. You mentioned it may be too early in terms of opening the scoring as the visitors come forward again. There is that initial reaction that we've seen so far from Preston, they're just sitting in quite deep around their own penalty area, desperate to preserve a lead that they haven't had for very long and they've not had very often this season. Chong down the right, whipped into the box, Barrett and Diaz sends it over the top of the crossbar. John goes on the outside, doesn't he, just shows it, goes on his right foot, lovely ball in, just cuts it back, similar to the Preston goal, misses a few bodies, sits up lovely for Berrettin Diaz on the up there, and you can just see his reaction, head in his hands there, he knows it's a big opportunity here. It is not what he was expecting, I'm sure, and many of the travelling contingent tonight. Graeme Alexander is once again looking like he's going to orchestrate with the scoreline staying as it is, another positive result against Sheffield United, never lost against Sheffield United as a manager. He bounces all the way through and I don't think Chong got a touch and there is the equaliser, Peck trying to deliver, trying to provide and he ends up drawing parity for the Blades. It's a lovely ball then isn't it, as I say it's a cross, just mentioned it Chong there not getting past that first one, well Peck does from the far side, lovely ball into the box and it's one of those you can see the goalkeeper there, he's arguing with his defenders, I don't think he can come and get involved. He just drops into that far post, Chong tries to get on to the end of it, you see him here down below us, Vukovic is deep, doesn't deal with it, he's got to deal with it, I think he's too busy, touch tight on Chong, go and head the ball, come up short to cut the seasons back against Sunderland, but he'll have that hunger again to get them back up, decent squad obviously didn't have money to spend in the summer, didn't spend a penny, Sheffield United, but look at the quality they've got in that squad, he'll feel and those Sheffield United fans will feel they should be in and around it from the end of the season. It's a decent effort from the edge of the area as Donovan coming across to the near side to cause problems. I don't mind that, Donovan comes across from that left-hand side, coming inside on his favourite foot, it does open up for him. ...behind somebody if he can get to it, and Iverson's committed to it too. Needs to be pulled back to Cannon on the edge of the area or somebody in support, Peck keeping it at his feet, looking for goal himself! And tucks it into the top corner beautifully! Draw from Peck! Oh well. First one, I'm not sure what he meant, that one he certainly does, but he took an age didn't he, the keeper comes out, he was in no man's land, defenders back on the line, nobody comes to engage him and it's almost a 1v1 against the goalkeeper, what felt like forever, good composure from Peck, just bends it into that top right corner, lovely finish, there he goes again making that run from midfield, you see through the middle of that Preston back line, keeper comes to get involved, doesn't get there, three defenders go back towards the goal. It's 4-5, Preston shirt's back there, it's good composure as I say, could have squared it there Peck, but he doesn't, just waits for that moment. It's not here. Stoppage time to play here at Deepdale in the first half. It could go from bad to worse in three minutes for Preston North End. Lovely ball from Burrows across the box, and it does, and it's a hat-trick for Peck in the first half, he's taking the match ball home, he's taking... No prisoners whatsoever at Deepdale and he's taking his opportunities in front of goal tonight. Sheffield United in the ascendancy since that second minute and Peck the protagonist that has them now 3-1 up. You called it Oli, he'll be looking for that hat-trick before the break and he's got it. Lovely build-up play from Sheffield United, Burrows galloping forward, you know they're not happy to go in 2-1 at the break. You see that lovely pass here, just weights it beautifully between centre-backs. again, can the keeper come for it? I think he can come there, Chong's finding some joy down that far side, that's a lovely nutmeg as well, on to the left foot, oh, it was almost a wonderful solo goal from Tai Chong. It's bright from Chong, but from a Preston point of view, it's far too easy, isn't it? I think Wiley gets rolled there straight on, yeah, goes past him like he's not there, Chops inside. Turn by Chowdhury, and into the area, back to Peck, good save by Iverson. The perfect record, runs dry finally, four shots only three hitting the back of the net but that could have been a fourth. Donovan, Tsuriki combining, that falls kindly back to the Sheffield United player, Peck on the edge of the area, encouraged to shoot, he will oblige, off target again but not by much. It's good speed doesn't it, to shift to that right side, tries to reverse it, goes to the far corner, Devine, here we are, encouraged to shoot, at least hit the target, that's going to be a free kick and a shooting opportunity. Tsuriki, the offender, good area for Preston, talking 25 yards, it's Devine, it's over the crossbar, again up and over the wall, just doesn't bring it down in time does he, to get across his line, a quarter of an hour remaining for Preston to try and show a bit more fight, make it a nervy finish if they can find one, this deficit, opportunity here, just needs to be squared and finished, and it is 3-2, Callum Lang providing. And is it going to be that nervy finish that Sheffield United certainly didn't fancy in the dying embers of this one? They've looked so in control for so long in this encounter, but Callum Lang's strike gets the home side right back in this. Long ball forward, isn't it? Tanganga doesn't deal with it initially. McGuinness isn't strong enough either. Ends up 2v1. Oh, ----. It's just divine. It's been quite bright since he came off the bench. Off the divine there, just buys his time. Lovely weight on the pass there. Callum Lang can pick his corner, no chance for Cooper. Scruffy in the middle of the park, nobody's really taking control of it. Opportunity may open up here though, Arblaster gives it wide. Callum, easy stroke inside, but nothing easy about the effort from Burrows. He'll be disappointed with that. scrappy passage of play, so nervous in the middle of the park, Callum rolls it into, he gets that yard doesn't he, and can't keep it down. Is there a last hurrah left in this one? Is there delight for Deepdale or dismay? Off here, floats it long looking for Potts. Steers it back. Lack of communication. And that may well be that. And it is. Sheffield United hold on. It wasn't quite picture perfect for Chris Wilder and his side. But City's hat trick in the first half gives the Blades just enough to edge it out over Preston. Over 90 minutes. Leo Leroy's opener after two. Gave the hosts the perfect start before Callum Lang's late strike put the heebie-jeebies into Sheffield United. But for the third time in a row between these two sides, it's a five-goal thriller. And it's a match ball for that man for the first time in his career. Final score, Preston North End 2, Sheffield United 3.