Report: Town 1-2 PNE

Town's home record from last season will be hard to match this season as they have already suffered a home defeat, with Preston leaving Portman Road with all three points this afternoon.

Town started the game brightly and took the lead with their first attack, Danny Haynes broke down the left hand side and crossed to a unmarked Kevin Lisbie who headed home his first competitive goal for Town.

Preston struggled to get going in the early stages of the first half leaving Town to do most the work. Lisbie set up Counago who could only scuff his shot into the arms of Lonergan.

On 21 minutes Preston had their first real chance of the game and they scored from it, Paul McKenna was left unmarked on the edge of the Town box and he fired home with two Town defenders trying to block his shoot which flew into the top right of the goal out of reach of Wright.

Town continued as before the goal but looked unsettled at the back as Preston started to push forward more often.

Just past the half hour mark the visitors took the lead thanks to some school boy defensive errors from Town, a break down in communication between Tommy Smith and Pim Balkestein lead to Preston getting the ball from a Town throw in, Alan Quinn tried to clear up the mistake by gifting Preston a free kick which they took quickly catch Town off guard. Billy Jones made the most of it by running free and crossing into Simon Whaley who managed to fire high into the net before Richard Wright could get a hand to it.

The 2nd half started with Town looking for a goal and Preston starting to camp inside their own half, Town had shots from Lisbie Counago and Garvan but no one them were struck with accuracy or enough power to seriously trouble Andy Lonergan.

Crosses into the box were often stopped by the first Preston defender, Town kept trying but Preston's 10-man defence was too much for them to overcome. Smith fired over, Garvan had a shoot blocked, Alan Lee who came on for Counago was marked out of the game, Balkestein couldn't hit the target.

Neil Mellor was shown a yellow card after a scuffle with Balkestein although some think it should have been a red as he may have punched Pim while the pair were on the floor.

Jordan Rhodes entered the action in place of Haynes and although he troubled the Preston defenders he never made a serious shot on goal. Town had calls for a penalty in the final minutes as Kevin Lisbie hit the deck inside the 18-yard box but there were waved away by the referee.

Ipswich Town: R Wright; D Wright, McAuley, Smith, Balkestein; Haynes (sub Rhodes 73), Garvan, Sumulikoski, Quinn (Miller 46); Lisbie, Counago (Lee 62). Subs: Supple, Bruce.

Preston: Lonergan; Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Davidson; Nicholson, Chaplow, McKenna, Sedgwick; Whaley, Mellor (Hawley 79). Subs: C Neal, Hart, carter, Wallace.

Referee: Mr P Taylor (Hertfordshire)

Attendance: 22,037

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