Match Report: PNE 0 Leicester City 3

Preston North End were beaten 3-0 by Leicester City in the final home game of the season, as the visitors were crowned champions.

The Foxes, three days after their return to the Premier League was sealed, earned the victory courtesy of a Jamie Vardy brace and a header from Kasey McAteer.

Ryan Lowe opted to make three changes from the defeat to Queens Park Rangers nine days prior, with Jack Whatmough, Mads Frøkjær and Milutin Osmajić coming in to start.

Leicester were keeping the majority of possession in the game’s early stages and created the first chance of note in the 15th minute when Freddie Woodman came out to deny Vardy an opening goal.

McAteer was next to be denied by North End’s No.1, but the attacker should have then scored just before the half-hour mark when he somehow headed wide from just a few yards out.

There weren’t many chances being created by either side, but the Foxes did put themselves in front in the 37th minute when a ricochet fell for Vardy who scuffed a left-footed effort into the far corner.

The packed away end had another goal to cheer about after the break when the ball rebounded off the back of Woodman after Wout Faes’ effort struck the post, and it fell for Vardy to slam into the roof of the net.

Woodman stopped Vardy making it three on 65 minutes with a good save one-on-one, but McAteer did extend the visitors’ advantage soon after when McAteer headed home Abdul Fatawu’s cross.

Space opened up for Players’ Player of the Year, Liam Lindsay in the 73rd minute and he took aim from distance, however his strike was too high to trouble Jakub Stolarczyk.

Woodman’s right-hand post was rattling a minute later as Fatawu cut inside onto his left foot and his curling effort was denied by the woodwork.

North End’s best opportunity of the night came eight minutes from time when Jack Whatmough drove into midfield and played a brilliant lofted ball over for Emil Riis, whose volley couldn’t quite find the target.

There was a special moment at the end of the night for Theo Mawene as the teenager was handed his professional debut, coming on alongside his brother, Noah.

Layton Stewart, who came on as part of the triple change, could have scored his first senior goal in the second minute of stoppage-time, but Stolarczyk caught his attempted lob and the visitors won 3-0.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Whatmough, Lindsay, Hughes; Millar, Ledson (Holmes, 80), Browne (Stewart, 86), Hughes; Keane (T.Mawene, 86), Frøkjær (N.Mawene, 86); Osmajić (Riis, 68). Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Evans, Best.