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Preston 1 Wolves 1 - Report and pictures

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Kevin McDonald salvaged a point for Wolves against nine-man Preston in a breathtaking encounter at Deepdale.

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The hosts led through Daniel Johnson's 10th minute opener and played with a man down for the majority of the game.

Joe Garner was sent off 20 minutes in for a high foot on returning Wolves captain Danny Batth.

Wolves dominated possession and created several chances in the second half, but took until the 91st minute to equalise.

McDonald, a day after finally signing a new contract, curled a 20-yard beauty into the corner. By this point, Preston were down to nine men after Bailey Wright saw red for two bookings.

But, despite some tremendous late pressure in an electric Deepdale atmosphere, the hosts and their inspired goalkeeper Jordan Pickford survived injury time to claim a point.

It was the least they deserved for showing an incredible amount of effort, but boss Kenny Jackett will see it as two points lost for the inconsistent visitors.

They remain close to the relegation zone in the early-season standings.

Rajiv van La Parra, who almost left the club a few weeks ago, was a surprise starter on the right as Jackett returned to his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1 formation.

Adam Le Fondre was left on the bench with Jackett selecting the Dutch winger, Jed Wallace and James Henry in an attacking formation.

Jed Wallace of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Alan Browne of Preston North End.

Preston: Pickford; Woods, Clarke, Wright, Cunningham; Johnson (Humphrey 77), Browne, Welsh, Reach; Garner, Keane (Hugill 65).

Subs not used: Kirkland, Vermjil, Kilkenny, Doyle, May.

Wolves: Martinez; Iorfa, Batth (c), Hause, Golbourne; McDonald, Price; Van La Parra (Le Fondre 45), Wallace (Ojo 64), Henry (Byrne 64); Afobe.

Subs not used: Ikeme, Ebanks-Landell, Doherty, Saville.

Referee: Trevor Kettle

Attendance: 13,039[/breakout]

Wolves made a positive start with some good early possession, but Preston took the lead out of the blue on 10 minutes.

Jamaican midfielder Daniel Johnson tried his luck from 20 yards and the ball took a wicked deflection off Batth on its way into the corner, past a helpless Emiliano Martinez in the away goal.

It was Johnson's fifth goal of the season, but one which failed to shake Wolves into life. Preston, their tails up, pushed forward through on-loan Middlesbrough winger Adam Reach.

He was linked with a move to Molineux in recent days but signed for Preston on the morning of the match, sending a deflected effort goalwards but bouncing wide.

Garner, last season's top scorer for newly-promoted Preston, then tried his luck from 25 yards and the ball curled fractionally wide.

Wolves were on the back foot but their chances of a rare victory this season were boosted enormously when Garner was sent off 20 minutes in.

A 50-50 challenge with Batth saw Garner catch the Wolves captain high, almost on his throat, with a stray boot.

With Batth moving down to head the ball, it was a dangerous move, but didn't look malicious with Garner seemingly watching the ball the whole way.

However after both players received treatment for injuries, referee Trevor Kettle sent Garner off. Wolves immediately looked to push on and Henry lashed a 25-yarder just over the bar.

Just past the half hour mark they were four on three, but Henry over-hit his through ball to Benik Afobe, allowing Pickford to clear as Wolves again played a poor final pass.

Tom Clarke fired over from a Reach free kick, before Dominic Iorfa was booked for dragging down Greg Cunningham.

Tenacious Preston were fighting and scrapping for every loose ball, with John Welsh epitomising their whole-hearted approach in defensive midfield.

Afobe, Henry and Van La Parra all found themselves in good attacking positions in and around the Preston box.

But they either failed to find the target or pick out a team-mate, as Wolves struggled to find that magic moment.

With Wolves having plenty of possession but failing to match that intensity, it was the home side who went into half time with a deserved lead, as the visitors failed to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

Le Fondre replaced the ineffective van La Parra at the break, as Jackett reverted to more of a 4-4-1-1 formation for the second-half.

Jackett's team began the half on the front foot, with Wallace cutting inside from his new position on the left before driving low at Pickford, the first save required by the home goalkeeper.

It was a bright, positive start to the second-half from Wolves, perhaps on the back of a stern talking-to from Jackett at the break, and they dominated the next 10 minutes.

Henry's low cross was gobbled up by Pickford with plenty of gold shirts in the box lurking for a tap-in.

Then, seconds after, Kevin McDonald's beautiful dinked ball into the box was taken too wide by Afobe's first touch.

Wallace was soon denied his first Wolves goal by a brilliant fingertip Pickford save from a side-footed 18-yard shot.

Wallace then crossed for Afobe who was set for a tap-in, but Pickford was there first, and then Clarke magnificently cleared from an inswinging Henry cross, with Le Fondre ready to pounce.

It was all Wolves, but they had a scare when Batth almost lost out to Will Keane as the ball bounced towards Martinez, but the goalkeeper claimed.

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Back came the visitors and Le Fondre chipped wide from the edge of the area on the hour mark.

Wolves were firmly on top but with 19 minutes of the half gone and nothing to show for their efforts, Jackett rolled the dice with a double change.

On came Nathan Byrne and Sheyi Ojo for Henry and Wallace as the Wolves boss searched for better creativity from the flanks.

Keane was replaced by Jordan Hugill up front for the hosts, with 25 minutes left on the clock.

Ojo soon put his searing pace to good effect with a searching run down the left, but Afobe missed his cross by inches with that man Pickford claiming yet again.

Scott Golbourne and Iorfa were practically playing as wingers with Wolves bombing forward, but the home defence was holding firm.

Wolves were given another helping hand when Wright, booked four minutes earlier for a late foul on Le Fondre, took out Iorfa as the visitors looked to break from a corner.

Referee Kettle had no hesitation in reducing Preston to nine men with nine minutes left on the clock.

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The home fans were apoplectic with the referee and their fury went up yet another level when Pickford was booked for time wasting.

It was attack versus defence with Wolves throwing everything at the Preston back line, but nothing was coming off.

Ojo played it inside to Afobe, but he lashed comfortably wide from 12 yards while off balance. Ojo was dominating down the left flank and his cross met Batth, whose bullet header was off target.

Batth was playing up front and the same combination nearly yielded an equaliser in the final minute, with the captain's flicked header superbly beaten away by the seemingly unbeatable Pickford.

Then at the start of five minutes of injury time their pressure finally yielded a goal. McDonald set his sights from 20 yards and superbly found the corner.

Cue bedlam in the away end as Wolves raced back for the kick off, intent on a winner. They nearly found it when Iorfa sent a free header over Pickford's bar from a last-gasp corner.

However it wasn't to be for Jackett's team, who gave everything but came up short in a game they should have won.