PNE boss Ryan Lowe rues missed opportunities in draw against Wigan Athletic

North End were made to fight and dig in for their point at the DW with the home side generally having the better of the contest, though the visitors certainly had the better of the chances.

Ched Evans’ red card 10 minutes from the end emphasised PNE’s need to stay resolute, and they limited Wigan to few chances despite their numerical superiority.

Lowe’s side were not their fluid selves against Leam Richardson’s dogged side and struggled to get much going on the ball.

“We could be better in possession, we had some good moments and some good patterns of play, we got some great opportunities and could have scored a couple of goals,” Lowe said.

"Ultimately Wigan put their bodies on the line for the cause and they had some moments of play and there was good things from them.

"I thought there were two teams definitely trying to win the game and get the points at either end. I was more pleased with the reaction when we went down to 10 men, I think sometimes we could have had a soft underbelly last season and lost that but the back lads were resilient.

"The 'keeper, everything he did was solid. We made the change and brought Ryan Ledson on and packed the midfield.

"I'd have liked a bit more, I would have liked a couple of goals. I thought we had some great chances to score some goals, the 'keeper makes a double save, clear cut chances. If they go in it's a different game.

"The resilience that the lads showed for the last 10 minutes, they're battered and bruised in there. Liam Lindsay got a knock on his ankle and was struggling, Alan Browne was struggling towards the end but dug in.

"I'm really pleased. It was a point, I'd have loved three points but as the lads said in there, if you can't win it then you don't get beat.”

Both of Preston’s starting forwards could have given their side the three points at Wigan, Tory Parrott going through one on one but being denied a debut goal by Ben Amos before the Latics’ keeper jumped up to deny Emil Riis on the follow up.

Parrott flashed an effort wide of the post in the second half too.

Lowe siad: “There's a bit of disappointment because we have the header and it actually hits Emil on his knee and it ends up over the bar and I don't know how.

"Then Troy goes through and you're thinking here we go, here's his moment but the keeper makes a good save and he gets up and makes another save with his legs from Emil.

"There were some clear cut chances, and a couple more in there where we could have got a shot away.

"Give Wigan credit as well they were at the other end trying to create chances and caused us problems but I'd like to think we dealt with large parts of it.”