Preston 1-1 West Brom: Albion held again as away end frustrated

An extremely below-par second period did for Carlos Corberan's troops at Deepdale. The second half belonged to the hosts, who cancelled out Karlan Grant's opener through Emil Riis.

That equaliser came 10 minutes after the interval and it could have been worse for Albion. The visitors did have their moments but in all it was a poor half against a side winless in nine.

Boos from the away end greeted Corberan's late changes with five minutes left as top scorer Josh Maja was withdrawn and they also greeted the final whistle. Those that stayed did applaud the away team, but their was a heavy sense of frustration.

Grant's fine opening goal 13 minutes in was not taken advantage of. The Baggies edged the first half but needed a second goal and could not kick on. It was a familiar story from recent draws.

There was little to choose between the two sides for a bitty, scrappy first 10 minutes but it was Grant who looked most like stepping up to the plate.

The re-energised attacker fired a warning shot at stand-in goalkeeper Dai Cornell from range, which was well dealt with by the Welshman.

But the warning was not heeded. The big breakthrough arrived on 13 minutes and it was one of the Baggies' finest goals of the season so far.

Mason Holgate had been useful with his distribution and his ball forward launched the move. He fed Furlong and inevitably Maja was involved. His deft touch was a perfect pass into the path of Tom Fellows as the winger had darted infield.

Fellows' through ball was a very smart one. It released Grant into the box on goal, albeit forced slightly wide to his right.

Out rushed Cornell to narrow the space but Grant was too smart and quick. His first-touch finish to clip over the keeper was genius for the opener.

The goal did not open the floodgates for chances but Albion looked in charge. Preston offered precious little aside from a few pot-shots well over from range from Josh Bowler and Villa loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden. 

The Baggies could have doubled their lead after half hour as Holgate's fine through ball fed Grant into the box. Again Grant was wide but his low cross-shot was dangerous. Lewis Dobbin recycled it but couldn't quite feed a pink-shirted colleague.

Dobbin was bright on his first league start. The Villa loanee has struggled since checking in this term but after 45 minutes at Sunderland he was enthusiastic and worked hard without the ball.

Corberan's men were let off the hook 10 minutes before the break. A diagonal ball to the left side of the visitors' box ended with Bowler and his low effort crept past Alex Palmer and towards the goalline, but mercifully Holgate recovered well to make the crucial clearance.

Home boss Paul Heckingbottom made an attacking change at the interval and immediately it was all Preston.

Albion were fortunate a minute after the restart as a Sam Greenwood inswinging corner was met at close range by Ali McCann, whose header appeared to cannon off team-mate Riis on the goalline.

A recovering challenge from Torbjorn Heggem, at left-back, denied Hughes but PNE found a deserved leveller.

A period of possession from the hosts fed Riis and the Dane made no mistake with an unerring low strike from 18 yards, which beat Palmer to the keeper's left.

Albion struggled to recover and had not got going since the restart. Set-pieces were problematic and defender Jordan Storey's header was saved by Palmer.

It took 20 minutes and a couple of Corberan changes - Jayson Molumby and Callum Styles - for the visitors to respond. 

Maja was inadvertently played on goal by a home player before being caught. The striker took the free-kick quickly for Molumby, in the box in on goal and ready to finish, but in rushed a recovering McCann to clear superbly.

The finale was more open and Palmer's best was need to paw away a top corner-bound Greenwood free-kick.

Corberan brought on Jed Wallace and John Swift with five minutes left - the latter for Maja and a change which brought jeers from the away end. The same followed at the sound of the full-time whistle.

Preston (3-1-4-2): Cornell; Hughes, Whatmough, Storey; Whiteman (c) (Keane, 45); Bowler (Potts, 62), McCann, Thordarson (Holmes, 85), Kesler-Hayden; Greenwood, Riis (Osmajic, 80).

Subs not used: Pradic, Ledson, Okkels, Bauer, Best.

Albion (4-4-2): Palmer; Furlong, Holgate, Bartley, Heggem; Fellows (Johnston, 75), Racic (Wallace, 84), Mowatt (Molumby, 67), Dobbin (Styles, 67); Grant, Maja (Cole, 84).

Subs not used: Wildsmith, Frabotta, Diomande, Cole.

Attendance:

Referee: Thomas Bramall