Paul Heckingbottom hailed his Preston North End players for their effort and game plan execution, in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Luton Town.
The 47-year-old had three days to prepare the Lilywhites for their first match under him, with the relegated Hatters standing in PNE’s way. In the end, Will Keane’s precise 39th minute strike proved enough for a battling North End to clinch their first points of the 2024/25 campaign.Post-match, Heckingbottom said: “I have been looking forward to it since Sunday night. It is the bit I enjoy the most, nothing can replicate it for me. I am delighted to be on the touchline again, watching the team perform. I am pleased. The result is the be-all-and-end-all, but everyone has been so welcoming, the players prepared properly and they’ve responded great. It had been a good few days leading up to this and, as good as Luton are, I felt it would’ve been unfair if they’d nicked a goal late on.We would’ve liked to (kill the game) and that is the difference. It is the quality of chance. Stats don’t always reflect everything. In context, they are really powerful and good. It was important, with Luton stepping on to us and going man-for-man, that we did exploit that space and get opportunities – which we did. But, like you say, it has not gone down as a shot, but a little bit better detail on the pass and it is a goal. No xG is reflected, but if that pass gets there it is probably a high xG chance.
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