Preston North End vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Sky Bet Championship.
DeepdaleAttendance13,049.
Sunday 27 September 2015 15:20, UK
Kevin McDonald's last-gasp equaliser spared Wolves' blushes as they earned a 1-1 draw away to nine-man Preston.
Daniel Johnson's 10th-minute goal at Deepdale on Saturday looked like it was enough to earn the hosts just their second Sky Bet Championship win of the season, but North End made life tough when striker Joe Garner was sent off nine minutes later.
Preston's Bailey Wright was also dismissed on 81 minutes following a second bookable offence and McDonald made them pay with a curled a right-footed effort from 25 yards in added time.
After a slow start to the game, it burst into life when Johnson put Preston in front with his fourth league goal of the season. The midfielder picked the ball up 25 yards out, jinked inside his man and curled the ball left-footed into the bottom corner.
Garner almost doubled the lead from the same spot three minutes later, but his dipping strike was inches wide of the right-hand post.
But Preston's start was damaged when Garner was shown a straight red card for a high boot which caught Wolves captain Danny Batth.
Wolves had their first real attempt of the match in the 25th minute, but James Henry's shot from 25 yards was comfortably over the bar. Five minutes later, they broke forward again and the ball was slipped through to Benik Afobe but Jordan Pickford dashed off his line to clear the danger.
Simon Grayson's side came close to a second after 37 minutes when debutant Adam Reach's free-kick found Tom Clarke, whose strike from 12 yards was just wide.
Wolves started the second half on the front foot, looking to make the most of their man advantage, and Jed Wallace forced a smart save at his near post from Pickford when he cut in from the left after 50 minutes.
And Pickford denied Wallace again after 56 minutes, diving low to his left to brilliantly tip the strike from 20 yards round the post as Wolves piled on the pressure.
Preston came close to a second goal against the run of play after 66 minutes when substitute Jordan Hugill struck from 20 yards with his first touch, but his effort was tipped around the post by on-loan Arsenal keeper Emiliano Martinez.
Preston's task in the last 10 minutes was made even more difficult when Wright received a second yellow for fouling Dominic Iorfa and Wolves had the chance to capitalise immediately, but Adam Le Fondre headed over from six yards.
As expected, it was one-way traffic in the closing stages as Wolves poured forward and Pickford made another terrific save in the 90th minute to palm away Batth's near-post header.
And, in the 91st minute, Preston's resistance was finally broken when McDonald curled a right-footed effort from 25 yards over Pickford and into the top corner.
Preston manager Simon Grayson:
"I'd like to say a few things but obviously I can't. First and foremost credit to the players for how they did. They started the game, 11 versus 11, and passed it around and looked to get on the front foot. The way they put their bodies on the line, the keeper making saves and the players working their socks off to get the three points, makes me hugely proud of what we've done."
"It was tense. Obviously the red cards are the talking points of the game but I think the referee was right. I thought they were the right decisions. I felt he just did his job. You need craft and guile but when they're down in the box sometimes you need brute force. Fair play to Preston, though; they do defend their box well and did so for an awful long time."
