MAGUIRE ON FIRE TO NEIL’S DELIGHT
‘Special’ Sean for double figures?
ALEX Neil had praise for Sean Maguire as his Lilywhites picked up their first away win since March to go third.
In a game of few chances, Maguire scored the only goal after 23 minutes to end a run of seven away outings in the league without a win for Preston, and shatter City’s seven-match unbeaten record at St Andrew’s.
“He’s a special player at this level,” said the North End boss. “It’s always nice when you’ve got someone in your team who can produce something from nothing. It’s such an ace to have up your sleeve.
“I’ve always thought Sean is a double-figures striker at this level. He’s not a wide player, he’s more of an inside forward who plays in between the lines and does it really well.”
Birmingham can count themselves unlucky not to claim something from the game, however.
They appealed strongly for a penalty when Maxime Colin’s cross appeared to strike the hand of Ben Davies, and had an effort from substitute Alvaro Gimenez controversially ruled out for offside 11 minutes from time.
Preston had an early, albeit marginal, penalty shout when defender Harlee Dean appeared to shove Maguire, but referee Stephen Martin waved play on.
North End took the lead with the first real attack.
Maguire tapped in the rebound after Paul Gallagher’s low curling free-kick hit the inside of a post after beating a five-man defensive wall as well as goalkeeper Lee Camp.
Birmingham midfielder David Davis conceded the setsaying: piece after upending Maguire.
Birmingham’s big penalty appeal came in the 56th minute. A cross from Colin appeared to strike the hand of centre-back Davies.
The Blues bench protested furiously at the fourth official but the referee and assistant were unmoved and only awarded a corner.
Blues caretaker head coach Pep Clotet made a double substitution in the 61st minute in a bid to drag his side back into the game.
Gimenez and Jacques Maghoma replaced Kerim Mrabti and Jude Bellingham to inject fresh impetus into a team that had not laid a glove on Preston for an hour.
Birmingham have the fewest shots in the second tier and it wasn’t difficult to see why.
But the shot-shy home side had the ball in the net in the 79th minute only for Gimenez’s tap-in from Lukas Jutkiewicz’s cross to be ruled out for what looked like a very close offside.
Clotet had no complaints, “I was very surprised he called it because when I saw it, I had a lot of doubts – it was very difficult to see even from so many difficult angles.
“From some angles I don’t think it’s offside, from some I do, so fair play to the linesman of he saw it. I don’t think that affected the game.”
Regarding the penalty appeal, he added: “The ref thought the hand was there but it is normal to have a hand there, so he gave us a corner, fair enough.”