A CLASH between Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End remained passed off relatively peacefully - at least off the pitch.

Police say just two arrests were made - one among either sets of supporters - after the Lancashire derby in the Championship yesterday.

One Preston supporter was arrested, before the game at Deepdale, for behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace.

And a Blackburn fan was detained, inside the ground, on suspicion of assaulting a steward.

Supt Russ Procter, the match commander, said that on the whole the fans from both clubs, with only a couple of minor exceptions, had behaved appropriately.

Mr Procter said that trouble appeared to develop between some of Blackburn’s own supporters, during the fixture, which led to the intervention of stewards.

One of the young fans is then alleged to have struck the steward and he was later removed to be arrested and questioned.

Just ensuring crowds were able to leave the city successfully was a challenge, with rail strikes restricting travel into and out of Preston. The match also took place on the same day as their festive lights switch-on.