Will Keane ensured Preston made a winning start to life under new manager Paul Heckingbottom with the only goal of the game against Luton at Deepdale.
Keane bagged his first goal of the season in the 39th minute to secure three points against one of the Championship’s favourites for promotion in Heckingbottom’s first game since being named as Ryan Lowe’s replacement.
Heckingbottom had been out of work since leaving Sheffield United last December but it was his opposite number, Rob Edwards, who was left with more questions to answer after a second defeat in three league outings.
Preston threatened first when Emil Riis forced James Shea, in goal for the suspended Thomas Kaminski, to make a comfortable save with an early shot from distance.
It was a start that promised a great deal but the reality of two teams still looking for their first Championship win of the season quickly came to light.
That was encapsulated in the 20th minute when Chiedozie Ogbene slipped and sliced a cross out of play from an inviting position and, just a minute later, when Keane got in Stefan Thordarson’s way after Mads Frokjaer had played him in on goal.
Luton did start to build some pressure and got their first effort on target after 35 minutes as Carlton Morris met Alfie Doughty’s corner with a header into the ground, forcing Freddie Woodman into an acrobatic save.
Ogbene then did brilliantly to jink his way into the box but failed to hit the target with a poorly-placed finish.
But, against the run of play, it was Heckingbottom’s men that took the lead shortly after.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden found the overlapping Riis with a delightfully timed back-heel and he knocked the ball inside for Keane, who drilled low across Shea with his second touch.
Deepdale was euphoric and the Preston players came out for the second half carrying that wave of positivity as Thordarson sent a long-range effort just wide within 60 seconds of the second period.
However, the Hatters soon rolled their socks up and Woodman had to be on his toes to beat away a fierce strike from Elijah Adebayo before dropping low to push away Jordan Clark’s fizzing strike.
As the game wore on, the hosts began to sit deeper and Doughty thought he had made them pay in the 77th minute but his curling strike from inside the box whistled narrowly wide of the top corner.
In the end, Preston held on for a big win while Luton languish in the bottom three with just one week to go before the international break.
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