Preston North End earned a point at Carrow Road when Norwich City and the Lilywhites drew goalless.
Marcelino Núñez gave the Canaries the best of their chances in the first half, but Brad Potts and Ben Whiteman nearly put North End in front in the second half.
PNE’s No. 4 was barely stopped by the woodwork before Liam Gibbs missed a close-range chance in the 76th minute, giving the home team perhaps their best chance of the game.
The squad that was defeated by QPR a week ago saw four changes: Potts, Liam Millar, Jack Whatmough, and Ali McCann all started.
With most of the activity taking place in the middle of the park, the match started quietly. However, in the 14th minute, Núñez had the first meaningful chance of the afternoon, whistling a low strike that went just past the post.
After ten minutes, the midfield player hit a spectacular effort over the crossbar, Freddie Woodman made a wonderful save to deny Onel Hernandez the opening goal as he raced in one-on-one, and Whatmough neatly finished to put one behind.
After Christian Fassnacht’s low shot was blocked off the goal line at the halfway point of the half, Liam Lindsay was called upon to aid his team defend a flurry of corners.
The only real whiff of North End in the first forty-five minutes came from Alan Browne’s pressing, who was hoping for some angus Gunn and Shane Duffy indecision, but the hosts did manage to clear.
A dangerous free-kick from captain Browne found a promising position ten minutes into the second half, and Potts rose to send a header just inches over the post.
Moments later, the right wing back for North End got even closer as he skillfully pulled down Whatmough’s floating pass before his left-footed snapshot went just high.
After 63 minutes, Whiteman’s first-time shot from 12 yards out was met with excruciating resistance from the woodwork, which was the only thing preventing the Lilywhites from taking the lead.
Whatmough made several impressive blocks to help PNE maintain their clean sheet, but the visitors managed to escape with one in the 76th minute when substitute Gibbs missed a close-range attempt from a central position from only 12 yards out.
The clean sheet and point were virtually secured when Browne skillfully blocked a header that was headed towards goal by Shane Duffy.
In the second minute of added time, Robbie Brady’s cross dropped to Whatmough’s foot a few yards out, and although he couldn’t quite connect, the danger was handled and North End may have even taken the lead.
The lineup for Norwich City is Gunn; Barnes (Rowe, 56), Idah; Fassnacht (Gibbs, 56), Sara, Núñez, Hernandez (Sainz, 72); Stacey (Fisher, 72), Duffy, McClean, Giannoulis (Placheta, 81). Not used were Long, McCallum, Batth, and Forshaw.
Woodman, Storey, Whatmough, Lindsay; Potts, Whiteman, McCann (Ledson, 88), Hughes (Brady, 88); Evans, Browne; Millar (Holmes, 63); are the members of the PNE lineup. Cornell, Cunningham, Keane, Frøkjaer, Woodburn, and Best were not substituted.
