GOOD EVANS
Ched and Emil on target to ease pressure on McAvoy
CHED Evans and Emil Riis saved Preston boss Frankie McAvoy with a late flurry to stun ChrisWilder.
New Middlesbrough manager Wilder was cruising to his first victory in his second game in charge, but a decent performance was ruined and they have now gone five games without a win.
Paddy McNair’s first-half header heaped the pressure on McAvoy, with Lancashire fans growing impatient after three straight defeats. But sub Evans came on to outmuscle James Tavernier at a corner and power home 13 minutes from time, his first goal of the season.
Then shambolic defending gifted a chance to Riis, who crashed home from 12 yards out to claim a shock away win and his eighth goal of the campaign.
Wilder’s side were dominant but lacked polish in attack.
McAvoy and his players have been booed by the Preston fans in recent games and were timid until Evans, signed by Wilder at Sheffield United, came on to add some presence.
He produced a towering header from Ben Whiteman’s corner, against the run of play. Five minutes later Boro had a handball penalty appeal turned down and Daniel Johnson counter-attacked.
His pass was booted by Sol Bamba onto his team-mate McNair, and the ball fell for Riis, who tucked a shot into the top corner.
Boro looked more brisk on the ball and worked Preston hard in possession, for most of the game. McNair opened the scoring after 33 minutes with a bullet header off the crossbar from Jonny Howson’s corner.
It was the versatile defender’s third of the season.
Wilder is hoping to get in contention for a play-off challenge ahead of the January transfer window, but slip-ups like this will not help, and the Teessiders are well adrift of the promotion action.
Preston had two good penalty appeals turned down. Tavernier flattened Riis with a barge in the box, and Isaiah Jones slid through Earl. Overlapping left centre-back Lee Petier had a vicious shot tipped onto the bar after the break as Boro turned the screw. NcNair came close to a second with a free-kick, saved by Daniel Iversen.
BORO (5-3-2): Daniels 5, Jones 5, McNair 6, Bamba 5, Peltier 5 (Ikpeazu 84), Bola 5; Crooks 7, Tavernier 6, Howson 6; Sporar 6, Watmore 6 (Hernandez 53, 6).
Goal: McNair 33.
PRESTON (3-4-1-2): Iversen 7; Van Der Berg 6, Bauer 6, Hughes 6; Barkhuizen 6 (Johnson 72), Whiteman 7, McCann 6 (Sinclair 72, 6) Earl 7; Browne 6; Riis 7, Maguire 6 (Evans 53, 7). Goals: Evans 77, Riis 81.