Sunderland completed a miserable start to the season with a third defeat in the space of a week as they lost at Preston North End. The Black Cats began their Championship campaign with a home defeat against Ipswich last weekend, and followed that with a midweek Carabao Cup exit on penalties at the hands of League Two Crewe Alexandra.
And they are still searching for their first point, after Preston avenged their 3-0 defeat at Deepdale on the final day of last season by winning 2-1 in their first home league game of 2023-24. A wicked deflection off former Wigan striker Will Keane diverted Mads Frokjaer’s shot into the net just after the midway point of the first half.
But that was cancelled out just five minutes later when Jack Clarke won and then converted a penalty. Sunderland were the better team in the second half and should have gone on to win, but instead a slack pass from Jobe Bellingham was punished as Preston swept upfield for Frokjaer to score what turned out to be the winning goal.
READ MORE: Preston NE 2-1 Sunderland: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats slip to defeat at Deepdale
Sunderland had chances to equaliser with Patrick Roberts going close when he brought a brilliant save out of Freddie Woodman, but they could not make their pressure count. After making wholesale changes in midweek in the Carabao Cup, Tony Mowbray reverted back to virtually the same side that began last weekend’s Championship opener against Ipswich Town.
The one change he made to the team that lined up against Ipswich saw summer signing Bradley Dack – who had made his debut from the bench in the cup – make his first start, replacing Portuguese teenager Hemir who dropped to the bench. The early stages saw both sides struggle to create chances, with an inswinging corner from Best that had to be punched out by an under-pressure Anthony Patterson on his goalline the only goalmouth action at either end in the opening 20 minutes.
Sunderland were dominating possession and they were the first side to create a genuine opportunity when Bellingham intercepted a loose ball in midfield and released Roberts down the right. He teed up Bellingham who saw his shot blocked, and then Dan Neil also saw his effort blocked, with the rebound coming to Pierre Ekwah just outside the area and his dipping shot was tipped over the bar by Woodman.
But it was Preston who went in front on 25 minutes, with their goal having more than a slice of luck about it. Frokjaer’s shot from 25 yards out took a big deflection off Keane, totally wrongfooting Patterson as he moved to his left and he was left helpless as the ball went into the bottom right-hand corner of his net.
Clarke took the penalty himself, with his kick beating the diving Woodman to find the bottom left-hand corner. Early in the second half, Ekwah sent a shot narrowly wide from 30 yards out.
But on 59 minutes Sunderland were punished for sloppy play inside the Preston half as Bellingham passed straight to an opponent, and within seconds the ball was in the net. Preston broke forward down the right through Keane, his shot was half-blocked by Dan Ballard but it came through to Frokjaer inside the area on the left and he slotted low past Patterson.
Mowbray sent on Hemir and Alex Pritchard in place of Dack and Bellingham as Sunderland pushed hard for an equaliser. Roberts left two men for dead with a neat turn out on the right-hand touchline before getting into the box and cutting the ball back, but there was no-one there to apply the finish.
And 15 minutes from time Clarke found Roberts six yards out and it seemed he must score, only for Woodman to produce a stunning reflex save. Then Luke O’Nien headed narrowly wide from a Pritchard corner as Sunderland kept the pressure on, but ultimately they came up short.
How they lined up
Preston North End: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Browne, McCann (Holmes 76), Ledson, Best (Whatmough 78), Frokjaer (Woodburn 86), Keane. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Bauer, Rodriguez-Gentile, Taylor, Leigh
Booked: Keane, Browne, Potts
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, O’Nien, Cirkin, Neil, Ekwah (Ba 75), Roberts, Bellingham (Pritchard 66), Clarke, Dack (Hemir 66). Subs not used: Bishop, Huggins, Batth, Bennette, Triantis, Rigg
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