Fixture pile-up is too much for ESR
Town were always up against it in terms of possession and didn’t threaten a goal in the second half.
Well, perhaps they did.
Chris Willock, on for only a few seconds, set up a sweeping move which ended with the ball being taken off the toe end of the eager O’Brien, rampaging into the box.
It was not to be for Town, but that wasn’t for any lack of effort.
And, while they remain within striking distance of teams below them, this was a point well earned.
For the record, the Town boss made two changes to the starting line-up, bringing in Trevoh Chalobah for Demeaco Duhaney at right-back and Pritchard to play No10 at the expense of Smith Rowe.
Duhaney, who had been ill in midweek, was fit enough to be on the bench with Smith Rowe, while Rekeil Pyke was called up among the replacements, taking the place of Matty Daly.
Juninho Bacuna, following his red card against Nottingham Forest, served the second of a three-match ban while Tommy Elphick and Jaden Brown were injured.
Preston, having lost five of their last six matches and picking up only a point out of the last 18 available, made four changes, recalling Josh Harrop, Ryan Ledson, Patrick Bauer and Tom Barkhuizen.
HUDDERSFIELD Town boss Danny Cowley did not start Emile Smith Rowe against Preston North End because he believes the teenager is not yet physically able to play games in quick succession.
The 19-year-old moved to Town in January from Arsenal on loan and has so far turned out 14 times in the Championship.
Most of those have been courtesy of being named in the starting XI, but Smith Rowe had to make do with a place on the bench for Saturday’s goalless draw against Alex Neil’s Preston.
He came on in the 56th minute, replacing Alex Pritchard.
Town boss Cowley admitted that though he would have liked to have started the young playmaker, he believes Smith Rowe is not yet physically able to play matches in quick succession.
He pointed to Town playing three games in the second tier in just six days - having lost 3-1 at the City
Ground to Nottingham Forest and beating Birmingham City 3-0 at St Andrew’s.
Cowley explained: “Obviously we weren’t able to start Emile, which we would all like to do, we know we’re a better team with him in it.
“But he’s a young boy and when you need him, he’s a key part of what we’re trying to do between now and the end of the season in trying to achieve the points that we need to.
“We can’t break him and he’s not ready physically to be able to play the games in short succession so it is what it is.
“It’s a good point, it’s another clean sheet and it’s now two unbeaten so it’s four points from two games and you also have to remember we’ve played three games in six days.
“It’s hard enough to play three games in seven days in the Championship, so three in six days is incredibly difficult.
“Let me tell you, at Championship level the amount in energy and intensity that the players have to play at, it makes a huge difference.”