Preston North End battle back as Blackburn Rovers prevent heroic comeback at Deepdale

Atmosphere swirled around Deepdale for the latest instalment of this modern day Lancashire derby, with Preston North End suddenly in the Championship play-off picture and John Eustace seeking his first bragging rights as Blackburn Rovers boss. Preston were dead on their feet come Wednesday evening, but manager Ryan Lowe went unchanged - backing his players to go again and deliver. North End have had to do it the hard away against Rovers in recent times and - on a suffering Deepdale surface - they would need to do so again.

There promised to be goals in the game and it took just seven minutes for the deadlock to be broken. Will Keane has been firing them in for Preston this season but his involvement here was in the wrong third, as Sammie Szmodics pounced on the number seven's sloppy back pass and placed home his 18th league goal of the campaign. With 83 minutes left to play, North End were dealt the first blow but far from down. Midway through the first half, mind, their task got a hell of a lot tougher as Rovers - again - breached PNE's defensive line. Callum Brittain's clipped pass forward, from his own half, saw Sam Gallagher gallop through on goal and - with the linesman's flag staying down - poke the ball past Freddie Woodman.

Lowe has been praising his team's resilience and character of late and his side would need to show it in bucket loads. North End continued to pass with purpose and get themselves into promising positions, without creating much clear-cut. Most importantly, heads did not drop despite every Rovers tackle being roared on by those in the Billy Shankly Kop. That noise was then directed at former Claret, Robbie Brady, as headed over to take a corner. But the stick proved just the spark the Irishman needed, as on 39 minutes he whipped in a wonderful first goal in Preston colours, right into the top left corner. Game firmly on.

Not that Deepdale had fallen flat, but Brady's belter breathed new energy and life into the home faithful - who knew their team were back in the game, against a side whose defensive woes have been a constant. And four minutes later, PNE were level. If the Lilywhites' first goal was a reward for patience and persistence, the equaliser was pure fight. After looking steady and secure, there was a vulnerability to Rovers all of a sudden. Brady's corner was kept alive and man of the moment Emil Riis was there to force the ball home. Time will tell whether the Dane is credited wit his third goal in as many games or if Aynsley Pears sent the ball over his own goal line.

Deepdale and derby day was alive and kicking, with Preston's task to go and complete the comeback job in the second half. With both teams kicking towards their packed out ends, it was time for someone in blue and white - like Liam Lindsay was in yellow - to go and make themselves a hero and seize the day. As a high stakes match progresses and the score stays level, though, the prospect of losing becomes more and more daunting.

Tired legs continued to run the hard yards as the rain tumbled down. Mads Frokjaer has been providing the magic in recent weeks and more flair from the Dane saw another chance fall to Brady, but his shot from the edge of the box was charged down. You tend to get at least one moment in the second half of matches and Pears was forced into a fingertip save, deep into injury time, to keep out Alan Browne's brave header. Come full time, the two teams - who had put so much in, left everything out there and shown resolve in different ways - shook hands on a fair share of the spoils.

Attendance: 20,924 PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Millar, Whiteman, Browne (c), Brady (Osmajic 81'), Frokjaer, Keane (Stewart 69'), Riis (Osmajic 81'). PNE unused subs: Cornell, Seary, Whatmough, Cunningham, Ledson, Woodburn.