Manchester City loanee Liam Delap knows his impact off the bench for Preston North End was important moment in Blackburn Rovers draw

Blackburn took the lead in the Lancashire derby on Saturday evening through Sammie Szmodics with less than 10 minutes to go, the visitors then looking to see out the game.

PNE did not give up however and Delap came off the bench to give them added firepower. He got in down the right hand side for North End and his cross into the box was turned into his own net by Dominc Hyam, despite the attempts of Aynsley Pears to keep it out.

Delap felt his side fully deserved a share of the spoils at the weekend.

“It was a crazy game, end to end,” he said. “I think we did well in the end to get the equaliser and to take away a point from the game. Both teams had a lot of chances, I think we probably looked like we had the more convincing chances.

"On another day we can go and bury a couple of those in the first half and put the game to bed. Every time you're on the bench you're just dying to get on the pitch, especially on a day like today. You don't need to dwell on that goal, you just need to keep going and dig in to try and finish the game as best as possible.

"It's an important, important moment in the game. They had a chance at the other end to put it to bed and then we've gone down the other end and got the point which is important for the table.

"It keeps us within touching distance of the play-off spots.”

Blackburn had the chance to seal the game, just second before North End got their equaliser. Ryan Hedges got in behind the home defence and opted to try and chip goalkeeper Freddie Woodman as he came to close down the chance. Woodman then kicked the ball forward, Brad Potts headed it on and Delap created the leveller.

"When it's only 1-0, it's only one goal and within a matter of seconds things can change,” Delap said on the fine margins. “It happened that way, they could have gone 2-0 up and we've come out 1-1.

"I like using my strength and power. It was a relief, it was more about the motivation to go and get another because we still had time and we still had belief that we could go and get another.”