Preston produce a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Sheffield United 3-2 in the Championship on Friday night.
The Blades were well ahead, with Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare finding the net after 16 minutes. Chants from the away end were heard, singing about minding the gap to their rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who were deducted 12 points earlier in the day for going into administration.
But Preston staged a stunning comeback. Lewis Dobbin pulled one back in first-half stoppage time, Japhet Tanganga scored an own goal 54 seconds into the second half, and on-loan Bournemouth striker Daniel Jebbison headed the winner against his former club.
The victory lifted Preston into the Championship top six with 19 points from 12 games played, and ended Sheffield United’s two-game winning run, leaving them 21st with 9 points from 12 games.
Cheers, Jebbo.#pnefc https://t.co/jM0U70g58D pic.twitter.com/3NrxMzhV5t
ā Preston North End FC (@pnefc) October 24, 2025
Blades manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:
“How we’ve not walked away with three points is unbelievable, but we only have ourselves to blame. The game plan in terms of setting it up worked in our favour – we set traps, we pounced, we countered and looked a really good side, but we have to put teams to bed.
“Then we have to realise, coming up to half-time, that there’s game management.
“It’s a team that’s learning. Their boys sprinted down the tunnel, we conceded a free-kick straight after half-time to allow them to put the ball in our box, the boy wins a header and it comes off Japh [Tanganga] and all of a sudden it’s game on at two each.
“We’re unfortunate with the third goal as Mark McGuinness gets a whack and is desperately trying to get back into the middle of the goal.”
š£ļø āScratching my head how weāve not walked away with three pointsā¦ but weāve only got ourselves to blameā
š¹ Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder on the 3-2 defeat away to Preston North End after being 2-0 up.
š§š https://t.co/TWvmNx1bwd#SUFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/BWHXITeW42
ā Football Heaven (@footballheaven) October 24, 2025
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom speaking to Sky Sports:
“It’s a really good win, the main thing for us is we kept our head. We started brilliantly then we had a 10 or 15 minute spell when we totally went off the rails.
“We’re really disappointed with the goals we’ve given away but really proud of the players once again. It’s just ironic, that’s probably our worst performance of the [past] three we’ve had and it’s the one game we’ve won.
On match-winner Daniel Jebbison:
“He did well in midweek as well. We’re really pleased with him, we’re pushing him and he’s responding which is great plus the way we like to play gives us that threat in behind.
“I’m delighted he got the winner, he’s a popular member of the squad and it was probably deserved for his all-round game.”
Here’s how fans reacted after Preston produce a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Sheffield United 3-2…
@tommyuto: Try going into admin, makes you feel better about things. See you next season.
@Jack71088871: We get rid of Chansiri and you lose away god this day is good UTO
@designedbyross: Partly on CW that Iām afraid. Weird subs. Soumare shouldnāt have been dropped. Whyās Burrows suddenly playing 90, he was crap again. Cannon shouldnāt be in the squad, One or Marsh ahead of him. Still doesnāt excuse the awful defending for 2 out of 3 goals & missing easy chances
@Ollie_Blade: 6 points from 9 is a huge improvement despite the obvious disappointment tonight, sxoring goals and not lost by more than 1 goal under Wilder, imagine if wed still got Sellesā¦ā¦ An unlucky OG and a player injured and unable to track back is all thats cost us really āļø
@J_Hedge01: Absolutely capitulated after that first goal, Burrows at fault for 1st & 2nd š¤¦š»āāļø no idea how McCallum hasnāt got minutes tonight, in cruise control at 2-0 up but never looked like scoring after their 3rd!
@Mlbolger: Far too many not good enough tonight!! Peck and Burrows the main 2 for me, but Ings, Barry and Cannon offer nothing off the bench. Still had chances to grab a point tho!!
@Maximoose22_: Got what we deserved in the end. Very poor compared to the previous 2
@__Jordz:
Zero leaders out there
Tanganga / Mee / Cooper absolutely awful
@DanKhan_5: Literally donāt understand our fans it will be like this until January and he gets his own players in. The squad aināt good enough but definitely improved since wilder came in. Scored 2 and should have been more. Tanganga has to play central for me instead of mcguiness
@The_Bladesman: This is a bad group of players. Wins against two equally poor teams seemed to mask that for some but we can not play well for more than a half of football. We are still in a relegation battle, make no mistake. #twitterblades #sufc
@louise_pne: If Carlsberg made perfect footy days eh Sheff Wed fans š #swfc #sufc #pnefc
@SheffUtd247: We actually went from Anel & Souttar to Mee & McGuiness in under 1 year. Biggest downgrade in our clubs history ever. #SUFC
@JackWalters92: The way weāve lost tonight justifies the frustration but having seen the state we were in before the Watford game weād of took 6/9 pts. Wilder will tear into them for that and a test of character going into Derby at home next week. This game will be the death of me.
@MikeCookson1: Didnāt see that coming at 2-0 down. Previous seasons weād have rolled over but thereās a serious fight to this team. A great win, delighted with that #pnefc
You must be logged in to post a comment Login