Memory match: Long range goals and a precious point for Preston North End at Brentford in 1999

David Moyes’ men showed plenty of character in the capital, recovering from one particularly hard body blow.

After Jonathan Macken had scored to make it 1-1, the Lilywhites conceded straight from the kick-off.

The ball was played back to Paul Evans who sent a shot from a yard inside his own half sailing over North End keeper Tepi Moilanen.

Conceding such a goal could have knocked the stuffing out of the visitors but Paul McKenna had other ideas, the midfielder finding the net with a screamer of a shot from 25 yards.

Brentford had gone into the game unbeaten in the league for 22 games – a run stretching back seven months.

North End had the chances, especially in the first half, to threaten that unbeaten record.

As it was, a point was not be sniffed at, bearing in mind they twice fell behind.

Early in the game, Mark Rankine sliced a shot wide, McKenna put an effort into the side-netting and Lee Cartwright saw a volley whistle just over the top.

In the 23rd minute, Gavin Mahon’s attempted back pass fell short of the keeper and allowed Macken to dart in and intercept in the box.

With just the keeper to beat though, he scooped his shot too high.

After having much the better of the first half, PNE were to fall behind two minutes before half-time.

Ijah Anderson hooked a cross into the box, Ryan Kidd misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed Scott Partridge to get the wrong side of him. Partridge brought the ball down and despite the efforts of Kidd to pull him down, fired past Moilanen.

McKenna went close to an equaliser after the break and Michael Jackson wasn’t far away with a header.

Moyes switched formation with 20 minutes left, Kurt Nogan joining the action from the bench to replace Cartwright.

Nogan joined Macken and loanee Alex Mathie up front in a 4-3-3 and within a couple of minutes PNE were level.

McKenna delivered a corner into the middle, Jackson rose to head the ball down into the goalmouth and Macken turned it over the line from two yards.

The celebrations had not died down when Brentford regained the lead.

Lloyd Owusu and Partridge took the kick-off, playing the ball back to Evans in the centre-circle.

He took a touch, looked up, spotted Moilanen well off his line, and launched a shot over the Finnish keeper.

Brentford could have made it 3-1 in the 78th minute only for Owusu to fluff his shot in front of goal.

It was a key moment, with North End pulling level just three minutes later.

McKenna got possession on the left wing and started to cut in-field.

He played a one-two with Nogan and hit a right-foot shot from 25 yards which dipped over goalkeeper Andy Woodman and into the net.

It might have been from half the distance which Evans’ earlier goal had been, but it was a great finish all the same.

Chances fell after that to Graham Alexander and Nogan but in the end North End settled for a point and a well-earned one at that.