Alan Browned off as North End wait to confirm safety
ALAN BROWNE blew a great chance to grab the win that Preston need to banish any lingering worries about relegation.
After Stoke defender Harry Souttar earned an 87th-minute red card for hauling down Browne, who was through on goal, the Republic of Ireland midfielder hammered the resulting free-kick against the Potters’ wall – and the last chance was gone.
Earlier on, Preston defender Andrew Hughes had blasted his free-kick effort against a post to deny him the winner his man-of-thematch show deserved.
And Stoke had keeper Adam Davies to thank for preserving a point when he saved a fierce effort from the lively Tom Barkhuizen.
Even so, the point eased Preston’s lingering relegation worries and a clean sheet came as a massive relief after last week’s 5-0 thrashing at Deepdale by Brentford.
Stand-in boss Frankie McAvoy said: “I had to lose my rag with them at half-time and that probably came as a shock to them.
“We were poor in the first half but, after I gave them a blast, we were the dominant team.
“I’m disappointed not to come away with the three points but we have four games left and it’s all to play for.”
Stoke boss Michael O’Neill had few complaints about the red card on Souttar, although he said: “It wouldn’t have been given 10 years ago.
“But by the letter of the law today, the referee was right to send him off.
“However, the ref completely missed an earlier, studs-up red card tackle by Brad Potts on Nick Powell, which didn’t help.”
O’Neill had promised to “freshen up” his side after two consecutive defeats but it didn’t quite work out.
Even when Powell set up Steven Fletcher to beat Preston keeper Daniel Iversen it was ruled out for offside, making it the fifth effort from the Scottish veteran to be disallowed in 2021.
O’Neill added: “It was a very marginal decision. Apparently, Steven’s arm was slightly offside. It could easily have been given.
“It’s been a really frustrating afternoon.
“Up to half-time we were excellent, but we needed something to happen at some point and I’m afraid it didn’t.”
During their dominant first-half performance, attacking defender Josh Tymon saw one great shot parried by Iversen, with Tymon then hitting the rebound into the side netting.
And during a purple patch for the Potters midway through the opening period, a long-range Tymon piledriver was blocked by Preston’s desperate defence, who then had to clear a Tommy Smith effort minutes later.
But Stoke paid a price for not finishing the visitors off when they were on top and remain in mid-table.
STOKE: Davies 7; Smith 7, Chester 6, Souttar 7, Norrington-Davies 7; Mikel 6; Tymon 7 (Batth 89th), Powell 6, Clucas
5 (Thompson (74th) 6), Fletcher 6 (Vokes 79th), Norton 6 (Brown (74th) 6)
PRESTON: Iversen 7; Van den Berg
6, Storey 6, Hughes 8; Barkhuizen 6, Cunningham 7, Whiteman 7, Ledson
6, Browne 6; Riis Jakobsen 5 (Maguire
76th), Evans 7 (Potts 76th)
STAR MAN: Andrew Hughes
REF: J Linington