After almost ten years, it was so nice to beat Preston

FIFTEEN attempts, 3,633 days, 15 Leeds managers, three Prime Ministers, two US presidents, one global pandemic… things that have happened since we had previously beaten Preston North End. Not since February 5, 2011, with a team featuring the likes of David James, Louis Carey, Jamie McAllister, Kalifa Cisse and Albert Adomah, had we beaten the Lilywhites. It was actually 11 years to the day since our last home league win against them.

Dean Holden made three changes to the team which had beaten Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Jack Hunt, having recovered from his leg injur,y replaced Adrian Mariappa at right-back, while Zak Vyner was preferred in midfield to Tyreeq Bakinson, following his excellent cameo in that positon when he came on last week. Sadly, Antoine Semenyo withdrew from the side due to personal reasons and our thoughts and best wishes are with him, but his absence gave an unexpected starting opportunity to creative midfielder Kasey Palmer, recalled from his loan at Swansea.

Kasey is marmite for a number of City fans. I think every fan appreciates how good an attacking threat he can be, but too often he drifts in games. I was really interested to hear Kasey’s postmatch interview when he said: “It’s time to prove everyone and myself that I’m good enough to be in the team. Unfortunately, a lot of the boys are injured, but it gives me an opportunity to come out and grab my place.” He is spot on, he has to look in the mirror and say ‘this is it for me’ and show us a consistency in performance. If he does, he will undoubtedly be a regular starter and can have a major say in where we finish this season.

City started really brightly and Palmer was a catalyst for that. We got on the ball and moved it quickly with purpose and intent. For the first half-an-hour, I thought we were really good. Preston didn’t have a sniff and we were closing the ball down and creating opportunities. In Famara Diedhiou and Chris Martin, we had two strikers playing as a pair and linking, and I would go as far to say that the opening period was as good as anything we had seen from City this season.

At the back, Tomas Kalas has been superb since returning from injury, and he has stepped up a level with Alife Mawson alongside him. Mawson is Premier League class and has this ability to make those around him step up.