Manchesterfootball.info sees runaway Championship leaders Norwich City pegged back at Preston North End by a last-gasp equaliser
PRESTON NORTH END 1, NORWICH CITY 1
Norwich City were left bewildered by their failure to win a 14th away league match at out-of-form Preston North End.
The Canaries were punished for their wasteful finishing at Deepdale where Preston pinched a point through a totally unexpected 95th minute deflected equaliser from substitute Brad Potts.
Norwich had led from the 17th minute through a wonderful strike from Argentine Emiliano Buendia and dominated throughout.
Teemu Pukki, with 11 goals in his previous 10 Championship matches, left his shooting boots at home as he was the chief culprit.
The flying Finn could and should have had at least a hat-trick and the game sewn up before Potts struck at the death.
Head coach Daniel Farke was left to wonder what might have been, saying: “It was disappointed to concede a sucker punch goal.
“Sometimes football can be the most cruel and unfair sport in the world.
“We missed so many chances to win the game. In the second half we absolutely dominated and Preston didn’t even create a proper chance.”
Farke hopes his young side will learn from letting the lead slip and realise the game is not over until the final whistle.
He was unhappy that Preston scored their equaliser in the 95th minute when only four minutes of added time was signalled.
Frankie McAvoy, Preston’s interim head coach, took positives saying: “The effort and work rate, hunger and desire until the 95th minute was excellent.
“I was delighted for Brad and delighted for the team. If I am taking positives it is we got a goal in the 95th minute and we also had two good opportunities early on before they scored.
“Norwich are top because they are a very good side. We are happy with a point but there are things we need to work on and tidy up going into the next games.”
The form of the two teams going into the game could not have been further removed.
Norwich’s run of nine straight wins was ended by a home draw against Blackburn Rovers in the game before the international break.
Preston, by contrast, had won only one on nine which had cost manager Alex Neil his job.
Norwich, who now need 13 points from their seven remaining games to guarantee promotion, were without Max Aarons, Ben Gibson and Dimitris Giannoulis as Farke made four changes from their previous match.
Todd Cantwell was superbly denied by Preston goalkeeper Daniel Iverson before Buendia made the breakthrough in the 17th minute.
The Argentine, arguably the best player in the Championship, created his own opening bending home a low shot from 22 yards for his ninth goal of the season.
Iverson pulled off another good stop to thwart Cantwell while Pukki pulled two shots wide after each time breaking clean when you would have expected him to hit the target.
It continued in the same vein in the second period when Pukki struck the underside of the bar from five yards and he also dragged another effort wide while substitute Marco Stiepermann tested Iverson.
Preston didn’t create a chance until the 95th minute when Potts struck with a shot which took a double deflection before it found a way low past goalkeeper Tim Krul, his fourth goal of the season.