Memory match: When Preston North End were on the ball early and late against Norwich City in November 2008

Chris Brown put them in front in the second minute but after the Canaries netted twice, Neil Mellor equalised with nine minutes left.

It was a hard-fought point but a deserved one for the Lilywhites in East Anglia.

Norwich had skipper Darel Russell – a player who a couple of years later joined North End – red-carded.

Russell had barely had time to turn the taps on for his early bath when Mellor fired PNE’s leveller.

To say the sending-off was the turning point, would not be wholly accurate.

The time when the game started to swing in Preston’s favour came earlier in the second half when Alan Irvine made his substitutions.

Irvine had only just introduced Mellor when Norwich went 2-1 ahead, then he summoned Richard Chaplow and Chris Sedgwick from the bench after falling behind.

Chaplow especially made a big impact, helping PNE get hold of the midfield and directing play.

It was his pass which played in Mellor to score and bring home a point from the long trip.

North End could not have asked for a better start as Brown found the net with the crowd only just having taken their seat.

It was the striker’s first return to Carrow Road since his £350,000 transfer from the Canaries to PNE 10 months earlier. He hadn’t scored for Norwich on home turf in his year with them so it was ironic Brown should take so little time to score wearing different colours.

Paul McKenna lifted the ball forward, keeper David Marshall and defender Jon Otsemobor got in a tangle and that allowed Barry Nicholson to take possession.

His shot was blocked on the line by a covering defender but Brown was on hand to follow up and score.

The lead only lasted until the 14th minute, Leroy Lita left unmarked in the box to meet a corner and head in.

North End keeper Andy Lonergan made a couple of saves, while a shot from Ryan Bertrand – on loan at Norwich from Chelsea – hit the bar.

Lee Croft followed up and put the rebound across goal and wide of the far post.

Norwich took the lead in the 61st minute with a goal PNE should have defended so much better.

Centre-half John Kennedy came round the back of the North End defence to meet an inswinging free-kick and squeeze a shot between Lonergan and the post.

That was the cue for the introduction of Chaplow and Sedgwick, so too a change of shape from a 3-5-2 to 4-4-2.

The midfield started to be bossed by the visitors, the ball started to stick up front with Mellor and Brown.

Russell got his marching orders in the 80th minute after a tangle with Ross Wallace which saw him push a hand into the Scottish winger’s face.

He did it right in front of referee Paul Taylor who pulled out the red card.

Within sixty seconds, the visitors drew level.

Chaplow’s through ball was perfectly weighted for Mellor to spin his man and run clear to meet it.

The striker’s finish past Marshall was confident and into the net it went.

Mellor almost scored again soon after, his shot hitting Marshall’s out-stretched boot.

Then Billy Jones saw a header saved on the line by the keeper.