Blackpool 4-2 Preston North End: The Lancashire derby as it happened

And welcome to today’s live blog.

How are the nerves? It’s a big one today as Blackpool welcome their fierce rivals Preston North End to Bloomfield Road for the first derby of the season.

It promises to be some occasion, with a near sellout expected.

Make sure to keep up-to-date with all the build-up, team news, match updates and post-match reaction with our live blog.

For these two sides, there’s no other game that compares to the derby.

As you’re reading this blog, the nerves will be beginning to swirl inside the pit of your stomach.

On this occasion, we won’t have to wait as long for kick-off with the game getting underway at the earlier time of 12.30pm on police advice.

For Blackpool, there is surely no better game for them to bounce back from their midweek disappointment against Hull City.

While Michael Appleton’s side continue to be depleted by injuries and suspension, you’d like to think adrenaline alone will get them through this fiery encounter.

When you look at Blackpool’s form, it doesn’t make for great reading - 21st in the table following only one win in seven. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Prior to the Hull game, the Seasiders had been performing well and looked to have turn the corner, which is what made the nature of their midweek defeat so surprising.

As for Preston, they sit up in ninth in the table, six points ahead of the Seasiders having played a game more.

They’ve only scored nine goals in 16 games, yet by the same token have only conceded 10.

The man in charge of this lunchtime’s derby is top flight official Chris Kavanagh, who has dished out 24 yellow cards during the seven games he’s officiated this season and no reds.

The Seasiders are sweating over the fitness of Jordan Thorniley (tight hamstring) and Gary Madine (hip) following Wednesday night’s defeat to Hull.

The pair are rated as 50/50 and could well require fitness tests prior to kick-off.

Elsewhere, Dom Thompson and Marvin Ekpiteta both return from their respective one-match suspensions, but Shayne Lavery still has two games to serve of his ban.

Jordan Gabriel (knee), Kevin Stewart (calf and fractured foot), Lewis Fiorini (hamstring) Keshi Anderson (quad) and Jake Beesley (fractured foot) all remain sidelined through injury.

Preston, meanwhile, will be without Liam Lindsay, DJ Johnson and Troy Parrott.

“This is a big, big local rivalry and it’s a massive game for everyone concerned with the football club including myself.

“It’s one I’m really looking forward to and hopefully we’ve got enough in our ammunition to go and beat the group of players we’re going to come up against.

“We know as a group, we’ve seen it in recent weeks, we’ve got the performances and the artillery to do that.

“I hope it’s a good game, because it’s a fantastic fixture to be involved in. There’s going to be huge support for both sides and I know our fans will come out in numbers expecting us and wanting us to win and that’s the goal.”

“I couldn’t tell you what kind of game it will be, I don’t know what they will do,” PNE boss Ryan Lowe said.

“I know they lost on Wednesday but my focus is not too much on them but on what we can do.

“We’ll still put a game plan together like we do every week for every team and hopefully the lads follow it but obviously there will be added spice because it’s the derby.

“My players are emotionally attached to Preston North End Football Club and our fans, that’s what we want. We want them to wear their hearts on their sleeve but we have got to have a calmness in that. We don’t want to get embroiled in any sort of off the field antics and what goes around. We have to make sure we’re fully focused on trying to win a game of football.

“I know how intense this game is going to be for both sets of fans. We’re going to want the best outcome for Preston North End, that’s going to be our aim.

“We can’t do it if we give a rubbish free-kick away or a rubbish foul away, or we don’t track a runner. We can’t be too worried about it, we know what they’re about and we’ve just got to make sure we’re better than them in most departments.”

Michael Appleton has limited options if he wants to freshen up his Blackpool side.

The Seasiders continue to be depleted by injuries and suspension, with Jordan Thorniley and Gary Madine the latest doubts.

But Appleton does have Marvin Ekpiteta and Dom Thompson back from suspension, while James Husband, Rhys Williams and Liam Bridcutt could all feature.

But how will the Seasiders line up? We take our best guess here...

It’s not even 10.30am yet and I’m already sat in the press box, which feels slightly odd.

Other than stewards, police and club officials, the place is empty at this moment in time. But in a couple of hours it will be full to the brim and Bloomfield Road will be absolutely rocking.

Bring it on.

Hard hats and goggles have just been handed out to the stewards in the East Stand. I’m not joking.

We can now barely move in the press box for a line of stewards either side. I’m told there will be lines of police as well, despite there being a press box and two large blocks between the two sets of supporters.

Talk about overkill.