Preston North End 1 Barnsley 0: Mannone gifts Preston the points
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Your support makes all the difference.Preston moved up to third in the Championship as Patrick Agyemang's fortuitous goal was enough to beat a 10-man Barnsley at Deepdale last night and extend their unbeaten run to seven games. Barnsley had the goalkeeper Nick Colgan sent off after just eight minutes - for handling outside the area after Agyemang had beaten the offside trap - and his replacement Vito Mannone had a few anxious moments before gifting North End their 30th-minute winner.
The Arsenal loanee on his debut punched a cross on to Agyemang's head and the ball bounced in for the striker's third in four games.
"Vito did OK. He'll be all right and it was just unfortunate," said Andy Ritchie, the Barnsley manager, of the 18-year-old debutant.
He did not argue with Colgan's red card. "The referee got it right. Nick had no qualms about it, he said he caught it with his hand and it was the reaction of a goalkeeper."
Preston's victory fittingly marked the final game for Deepdale's Pavilion Stand, which is to be rebuilt after 71 years. North End had a presentation of former players at half-time and the Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, under pressure following this week's BBC Panorama allegations, was given a standing ovation.
Despite making it five matches without defeat at Deepdale, the North End manager Paul Simpson admitted it was not easy against the 10 men. "In the second half especially, we got a bit frustrated, we were little bit slow in our build-up play and it was a difficult game, so we'll give Barnsley some credit for that."
Preston North End: Nash, Alexander, Chilvers, St Ledger, Hill, Whaley (McCormack 89), Sedgwick, McKenna, Pugh (Lewis Neal 79), Agyemang (Dichio 45), Nugent. Substitutes not used: Lonergan, Wilson.
Barnsley: Colgan, Austin (Wright 74), Kay, Hassell (Williams 84), Heckingbottom, Devaney, Howard, Togwell, McIndoe, Hayes, Richards (Mannone 9). Substitutes not used: Healy, Atkinson.
Referee: R Beeby (Northamptonshire).
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