Preston North End 2 Sheffield United 3: Hat-trick hero Sydie Peck steals show for Blades
AFTER Sheffield United’s desperate autumnal evening at Deepdale almost exactly a year ago, which saw them inexplicably let a 2-0 lead slip en route to a wretched 3-2 loss, Sydie Peck applied the balm for Chris Wilder.
The silky midfielder’s previous goal this season had arrived not far away from Preston at Ewood Park.
He must have a liking for these parts after plundering a first-half hat-trick in less than 20 minutes, becoming the first Blades player to achieve that feat since the legendary Billy Sharp in February 2019.
A thoroughly bizarre first period saw United stink the place out in the opening 20 minutes and deservedly trail rock-bottom hosts, who led after just two minutes, courtesy of Leo Leroy’s first goal for North End.
Fortunately, United eventually got with it, thanks to the elegant Peck.
A 76th-minute goal from Preston substitute Callum Lang would set up an edgy finale at 2-3. It has rarely been easy and straightforward where United have been concerned over the past couple of seasons.
But that night was theirs and Peck’s as Wilder’s side recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since April.
It’s the time of year when the nights draw in, the overcoats come out and league tables start to mean that bit more.
Five games into a seven-match block of Championship games ahead of the November international break, Wilder’s side were in reasonably good shape - certainly in comparison to this time last season - with 10 points accrued from a possible 15.
Being consistently inconsistent remains something that the Blades had been wrestling with and against a Preston side on the ropes all season and propping up the rest virtually since day one, it was an evening for getting the job done.
North End definitely weren’t in good shape. The arrival of Graham Alexander from Bradford City had failed to arrest their fortunes, quite the opposite in fact. They had taken a derisory one point from his opening five games.
Preston came into the game with a horrific statistic against their name, with the only side in Championship history to muster few points after the first 13 games of a campaign - without points deductions - being Sheffield Wednesday back in 2023-24.
That campaign, the Owls won in game 14 and managed to stay up. The odds of Preston doing that appear long, indeed.
Kalvin Phillips, Joe Rothwell and Patrick Bamford all missed out through injury, with Jairo Riedewald handed his first league start since September 5. Mark McGuinness came in for the suspended Liam Kitching, while ex-North End loanee Tom Cannon was back up front for United.
The game started off in the worst possible fashion for United, wearing their luminous yellow away strip.
Tahith Chong was painfully weak in the challenge and home captain Andrew Hughes powered forward and found Andrija Vuckevic down the left in acres of space on the overlap.
Andrew Moran failed to connect with a fresh-air shot following Vuckevic’s low centre, but Leroy - left untracked after powering into the box - was unerring, blasting home a first-timer into the top corner.
It was a dreadful start for United, who were safe, passive and meek in the opening 20 minutes. It certainly did not look like a Wilder team with the hosts outworking and outenthusing those in visiting colours and winning virtually all of the duels.
And then it changed. Cue Mr Peck.
The midfielder delivered a precious nugget of much-needed quality on 27 minutes from the left, where United were far more convincing than on the opposite flank.
Peck’s sweetly struck cross-shot evaded everyone before nestling in the far corner.
It was the prelude to Preston starting to display the brittle defensive confidence that you would associate with a side marooned at the foot of the table.
Peck’s second was sublime.
Daniel Iversen’s decision to race out of goal was ill-advised in the extreme following Ben Brereton Diaz’s astute pass and he found himself in total no-man’s land.
Still, Peck had so much to do after rounding the home keeper on the left-hand side.
With North End defenders on the cover and team-mates in support, Peck had a decision to make. Play it safe and pass or go for it?
He chose the latter and his marvellous curled shot was perfection and flew into the top corner. It was a thing of beauty not in keeping with United's first 20 minutes.
Their fans had been getting understandably edgy against seemingly pumped-up hosts. The half would end with considerable home tension and even chants of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ ahead of boos at the interval.
Peck’s hat-trick goal was the reason with Romelle Donovan’s low centre dissecting a dozing North End defence, with Peck obligingly tapping home from close in.
Early in the second half, Peck - clearly getting a taste for it and enjoying himself immensely - almost added another, testing Iversen low down at his near post.
The Peck show continued. A free-kick was blocked and an angled shot almost crept in at the far corner
The next goal was a Preston one as North End secured a lifeline after Lang coolly converted following an assist from fellow replacement Alfie Devine with the visitors opened up in central defence.
It made it a needlessly tense finale. But the night was Peck’s.
Preston North End: Iversen; Offiah, Storey (Lindsay HT), Hughes; Mills (Potts 90), Leroy, Thompson, Vukcevic (Wiley HT) Moran; Erabi (Devine 64), Kenny (Lang 13). Substitutes unused: Nicholls, Small, Nolan, Burgzorg.
Sheffield United: Cooper; Choudhury (Ayew 71), Tanganga, McGuinness, Burrows; Chong (Seriki 58), Peck, Riedewald (Arblaster 58), Donovan (McCallum 84); Cannon, Brereton-Diaz. Substitutes unused: Doherty, Campbell, Norrington-Davies, Betts, Baptiste.
Referee: J Busby (Oxon).