Hero Bark bites back
PRESTON pumped up the volume to smash their home jinx and make it a miserable managerial return for Tony Pulis.
After losing all five home games the club installed 18 speakers at Deepdale, complete with crowd noise, and Alex Neil’s side at last hit the right notes thanks to Tom Barkhuizen (above).
For Pulis, back after 18 months, it all started going off-key after 17 minutes when he had Josh Windass sent off for a chest-high challenge on Joe Rafferty.
It was more clumsy than malicious but referee David Webb banished the stunned striker to the dressing room.
Pulis said: “The officials will say it’s dangerous play. But speaking to Sky Sports they thought it was probably harsh. Josh said he was trying to flick the ball and didn’t see the player until it was too late.”
But Preston assistant boss Frankie McAvoy said: ”I thought right away it was a red card. It was dangerous and if anyone tells me otherwise then I’d better get my spectacles.”
In true Pulis style there was no surrender, the boss cajoling his troops.
But a gamble to select keeper Keiren Westwood after almost 12 months in the shadows failed.
Westwood could only offer a weak punch to a Ryan Ledson cross early in the second half and Barkhuizen pounced from inside the box.
Cue relief for the home side who had until yesterday only scored once here.
Also, full-back Darnell Fisher can be relieved a grab at Owls’ Callum Paterson in the privates was missed, the incident appearing on Twitter.
Rudd 6; Fisher 6, Bauer 7, Huntington 7, Rafferty 6 (Stockley 46, 6), Potts 6 (Gallagher 46, 6), Ledson 7 (Pearson 70, 6), Johnson 6; Barkhuizen7, Sinclair 6, Riis 6 (Maguire 70, 6). Ripley, Earl, Baylis, Storey, O’Reilly.
Westwood 6; Palmer 6, Lees 6, Borner 6, Van Aken 7, Bannan 6, Luongo 6 (Pelupessy 61, 6), Odubajo 6 (Rhodes 73, 6), Reach 6, Paterson 6 (Brown 71, 6), Windass 5.
Wildsmith, Penney, Dele-Bashiru, Shaw, Hunt,
Patrick Bauer. Solid and dependable. Just what was needed to help Preston claim their first home points.
David Webb 6.