Old Boys Weekend Round Up
The fate of a few former Preston North End personnel was still to be decided before today's Premier League action kicked off. David Moyes' Everton side needed to win to guarantee themselves that 5th place which would ensure them of a UEFA Cup spot. A 3-1 win over Newcastle did just that with a brace from Yakubu and a goal from Joleon Lescott. With Villa drawing to West Ham, it meant that the gap ended up being 5 points - more comfortable than first thought.
Kevin Kilbane watched from the sidelines as he was unable to prevent Manchester United from beating his Wigan side 2-0 thus clinching the Premier League title for the 10th time. It is reported that Kilbane had been playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks and was deemed not worth risking his fitness for the visit of the Champions.
At the opposite end of the table, Brian McBride played the whole 90 minutes for Fulham in their 1-0 win over Portsmouth. The win capped off a remarkable end to the season for Roy Hodgson's men and ensured their Premier League safety. David Healy was an unused substitute.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Tyrone Mears started Derby's final Premier League game, for another year at least anyway. The rams suffered a 4-0 defeat to Reading at Pride Park but due to the aforementioned 1-0 win for Fulham, it meant that Reading were also condemned to Championship football for next season.
In the Championship Play-Offs, Tamas Priskin proved to be a handful for Watford after coming on as a second half substitute in the 2-0 home defeat to Hull. Priskin came close with a towering header and should be pleased with his own performance even though his team fell short.
And finally, Friday evening saw the League One play-offs underway with Southend welcoming the visit of Doncaster Rovers. Two former Preston midfielders featured in this fixture with Alan McCormack donning the blue of Southend and Brian Stock sporting the red and white hoops of Doncaster Rovers. The game ended in a 0-0 draw and is delicately poised ahead of the return leg at the Keepmoat Stadium.