Burnley vs Preston North End. Sky Bet Championship.
Turf MoorAttendance18,614.
Saturday 5 December 2015 18:30, UK
Will Keane won the battle of the twins to set Preston on course for a spirited 2-0 win at the expense of brother Michael's Burnley.
Preston's decision to field a back five looked a shrewd one early on, as the hosts dominated and the back line were tested from the flanks by George Boyd and Ben Mee.
The visitors forced their way back in with a series of challenges befitting the derby occasion, as Greg Cunningham sent Joey Barton flying.
But Will Keane squandered Preston's first real chance after 17 minutes, first failing to connect with strike-partner Joe Garner's flick and then being crowded out at the second attempt.
Burnley should have gone ahead five minutes later, when Sam Vokes sent Andre Gray through and the 11-goal man picked out Barton at the back post only for the midfielder to fluff his volley.
The first period became an end-to-end affair, with Tendayi Darikwa blocking from Tom Clarke before Boyd saw a shot deflected behind after the angle opened up for him inside the box.
Cunningham was then booked after 32 minutes for a second offence on Barton, whose free-kick a minute later was punched clear by Jordan Pickford.
The on-loan Sunderland goalkeeper endured a busy couple of minutes, culminating in the save of the afternoon when he got a strong wrist to Vokes' first-time strike and saw the ball loop mercifully onto the bar.
With Gray being shepherded out wide by North End's back three, it was the away side who threatened first after the break when Alan Browne's powerful volley sailed into the arms of Heaton.
This spurred Burnley into action 10 minutes into the half, with Vokes heading into the path of dangerman Gray who eyed up Pickford's near post but failed to connect.
The chances kept falling to the league's top scorer, who couldn't quite wrap his foot around David Jones' corner and saw his shot fly wide on the hour.
Preston again grew as the half wore on and took the lead after 63 minutes, when Keane picked up Daniel Johnson's pass near halfway and was gifted space to run unchallenged into the box and fire home under Heaton as the defence backed off.
It was a cagier period after the goal, before Vokes fired a shot straight at Pickford from 20 yards when he could have taken it into the area.
Johnson secured the upset four minutes from time, when he fired home after good work from Garner had drawn in two defenders and Heaton before dragging back for the assist.
