Standout star tilts Preston's night against Stoke City | OneFootball

Alfie Devine hauled Preston North End level in the 15th minute with a crisp left-footed finish, sparking a 3-1 win over Stoke City.

The midfielder burst onto Andrew Moran's through ball on a fast break and guided his shot into the top corner. He kept finding pockets between the lines and, from a corner, delivered a teasing cross that Liam Lindsay headed over (24.).

After the restart he settled the contest, timing his run to meet Milutin Osmajic's through pass before slotting calmly from the centre of the box (60.). The second burst in transition mirrored the first and underlined how he attacked space as Preston broke forward.

Devine's numbers matched the eye test: three attempts with two on target and two goals, plus two key passes and eight recoveries. He also completed 29 of 35 passes and made eight successful final third distributions, repeatedly linking counters to shots.

Because Preston sprang forward quickly after regains, his movement between midfield and defence kept Stoke City off balance. Those direct runs on turnovers turned promising breaks into clear chances and put the game firmly in Preston's control.

Preston rise from 17th to 12th and visit Leicester City next. Stoke City host Sheffield Wednesday next.