PRESTON NORTH END 1 BARNSLEY 1

Maguire (23) Potts (26)

BARNSLEY ended a run of five successive away defeats as Brad Potts notched an equaliser to secure a draw.

Potts cancelled out Sean Maguire’s first goal for Preston, who conceded for only the second time in the league this season.

Preston had the first chance of the match after eight minutes as Maguire jinked down the left-wing and pulled it back from the byline for Jordan Hugill 12 yards out, whose shot was skewed just wide of the near post. Maguire was in action again after 20 minutes when he met Stephy Mavididi’s cross, but headed straight at Adam Davies from 12 yards.

Three minutes later he went one better. Tom Barkhuizen twisted away from Jason McCarthy and chipped the ball in from the left byline where Maguire rose highest to power a header from 12 yards.

But Preston’s joy was short-lived, however, as Adam Hammill got the better of Josh Earl and crossed low across the sixyard box where Potts bundled home. Barnsley’s equaliser seemed to take the life out of the hosts and Preston required a goal-line clearance from Darnell Fisher after 48 minutes to keep them level, as Ike Ugbo, the on-loan Chelsea striker, prodded goalwards from six yards.

Preston came close though when Paul Gallagher, making his 500th career appearance, picked out Paul Huntington from a corner, but the centre-half’s header was parried by Davies.

Barnsley’s main threat was coming on the counterattack and they cut Preston open in the 67th minute as George Moncur unleashed a shot from 20 yards that was well blocked by Fisher.

Maguire almost grabbed an injury-time winner for Preston, but his strike was tipped over by Davies.