Point against league leaders was an unexpected bonus for Preston, say fan Tim Mercer

It was the inevitable and not unexpected outcome against the Premier League bound Norwich in this first match of interim head coach Frankie McAvoy’s reign.

However, Ryan Ledson and Brad Potts had other ideas, with Ledson in the centre circle spotting Potts moving into the box and launching one final ball towards his teammate.

Under pressure from a Canaries defender Potts scrapped for the ball with his back to goal, turned and got a shot off that took a deflection beyond the keeper and into the net.

It almost felt like a victory, as witnessed by the reaction from all the players and coaching staff as they engulfed McAvoy and in the shouting and fist pumping by this fan at the iFollow screen.

From a Preston point of view it had been a game of two contrasting halves. In the first, renewed purpose when going forward led to a number of chances that unsettled the visitors and should have resulted in Emil Riis giving North End the lead when put through on goal by Ched Evans’ clever flick.

Both players formed a double pronged attack in a 4-4-2 formation not often used in the modern game and with a diamond behind their line making up the midfield.

Scott Sinclair was the front point of that diamond and was also guilty of missing a good chance when making poor contact from close range. McAvoy opted to use all five substitutes with enough time left to make an impact.

As for Norwich, they will see this as two points dropped, especially considering the three glorious opportunities not converted by their prolific Championship-level goal machine, Teemu Pukki.

It will not stop their return to the promised land at first time of asking and in this we should view the draw as an unexpected bonus point in the battle to ensure we start next season in this ridiculously competitive division.

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.