Bamber Bridge 0-7 Preston North End

Bamber Bridge 0-7 Preston North End

Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 1st July 2023

And… we’re back!

Although it doesn’t seem like two minutes since I was sat inside The Den at the end of last season, wondering how Sheffield United had just lost to Millwall in the PDL National Play-Off Final, football is back upon us and it’s pre-season again.

Last year I went to 144 games (far too many) and this year I want to try and tick off a few grounds that I’ve not yet been to - hence this trip to Bamber Bridge for the regular pre-season game against Preston North End.

I’ve passed Irongate multiple times on the train over the years as it’s on the Leeds-Preston train route so it’s not totally unfamiliar and with Bamber Bridge having come within a whisker of promotion to the National League North last season; losing at the last hurdle to Warrington Town, they’ve probably never been as strong.

For that reason, I thought they might give Preston a fairly decent challenge in this game but aside from a shaky first few minutes where PNE defender Bambo Diaby needed to be bailed out by Freddie Woodman when a dodgy back-pass put the hosts clean through on goal when it was still 0-0, the difference in class was always evident and the visitors were ‘in control’ for probably 90% of the game.

Whilst they squandered several good chances in the first half (with no fewer than five balls flying out the ground at different points - spare a thought for whoever has to retrieve them), after the break they were miles more ruthless and converted everything they created to rack up the big scoreline.

It was only 1-0 at half-time and the opener came around the quarter-hour mark from the first corner of the game as Nathan Pond put through his own net from Robbie Brady’s inswinger, before the floodgates really opened after half-time when the PNE youngsters who’d been put on caused mayhem and just produced some devastating finishing.

Jacob Slater was probably the best player on the pitch (more on him below but he made a very solid impression) and he bagged the first of his two goals when he found space inside the box to cushion home a header and soon enough it was 3-0 thanks to a well-placed drive from Mikey O’Neill.

PNE played a lot of tidy stuff and had Bamber Bridge penned back by this point and after Kitt Nelson made it 4-0 with a well-taken lob over an onrushing ‘keeper, Slater soon scored what I’d judge to be the best of the bunch when a ball reached him on the edge of the box and he drilled it with power on his left-foot low and hard across the ‘keeper and into the net. Superb technique!

Five became six as Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile added a touch of continental flair with a curling effort from the edge of the box, before Nelson wrapped things up late on with a turn, spin and finish from inside the box - cue a frustrated Bamber Bridge ‘keeper booting the ball over the straight over the protective netting, out of the ground and into someone’s back garden.

Again, spare a thought for the person who’s got to explain to someone afterwards why they’re several balls fewer than what they began the day with!

Thankfully for that person, nobody claimed a hat-trick as it finished 7-0 - and whilst that scoreline was perhaps a touch flattering, it’s hard to deny the quality and ruthlessness in some of the finishing.

Again, probably the best player in the game was Jacob Slater. 

I’ve not seen him previously (living in Yorkshire rather than a lack of interest in youth being the reason for that) but he was sharp, lively, threatening, involved in a lot of positive play, creative, direct, used his left-foot really well and should have probably been awarded a penalty when he got barged over inside the box (a clear push which in any other scenario than pre-season would have had people screaming) and he just put in a really impressive performance - starting at LCB before moving out to a left-wing position in the second half where he caused all sorts of the carnage just mentioned. His first goal was well-taken, his second strike was pure quality and a case of excellent technique (very difficult to get the power, accuracy and control behind the ball to bury it like that) and based on this 90 minutes, it’s not a surprise to see why he’s so highly-rated at Preston, been in the first team already, and played with and against some other decent lads who he’s following on Instagram including Ben Radcliffe (nearly 4,000 minutes at 19-years-old at National League North level last season), Oisin Gallagher (best midfielder in the North-East Youth Alliance last year) and Owen Mason (the GOAT ‘keeper). Ultimately, it’s only one game, it’s only pre-season, but I back my own opinions and can tell a good player a mile off, Jacob Slater’s quality stood out a million miles, and if he continues in this vein of form - especially in the more attacking role he played in the second half, then he’s going to have a really good season.

Kitt Nelson also probably warrants a mention too. It took him a while to get into the game but once he grew into things, he posed a threat inside the box, played on the shoulder of his marker and both his goals were good finishes; the first being more about technique under pressure with the ‘keeper charging out to narrow the angle, whereas the second being an example of what strikers do best inside the box when they’re allowed. A predatory finish. A few bits to improve but otherwise a solid start to the season that he’ll be pleased with on an individual level.

Overall, an enjoyable day - some good football, decent entertainment to start the season and worthwhile because I felt like I learned a few things from watching this game!