Preston 0 Wolves 0 - Report and pictures

The hosts created the better chances in a game desperately low on quality,

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Wolves stood firm, and improved going forward as the game went on, but aside from two late headers from substitute Nouha Dicko they rarely threatened.

Jordan Hugill spurned a wonderful late chance for Preston when through on goal but it ended goalless at Deepdale.

Analysis

So Paul Lambert's reign started in exactly the same way that Kenny Jackett's did - with a 0-0 draw away at Preston.

This game, like the season-opener of 2013/14 in League One, was an extremely tough watch.

But the manner in which Wolves claimed a point at Deepdale - which wasn't too dissimilar to the way Jackett ground out plenty of results during his Molineux tenure - will offer encouragement to the new incumbent.

After all, Wolves had failed to keep a clean sheet since September 17. They had also conceded in the first 15 minutes of six of their last seven minutes.

Both of those diabolical statistics were ended. Yes Wolves were sorely lacking in creativity, attacking intent and excitement. But after the run they've just been on, this result was definitely a positive against a Preston team that has been flying in recent weeks, beating Norwich and Huddersfield and drawing at Brighton.

All good teams are built from the back. That wasn't a notion that Walter Zenga embraced during his brief stint in charge, but it's certainly one that Lambert will.

The Scot made a statement with his first team selection, handing a shock start to youngster Enobakhare.

It was only his second start in Wolves colours and followed a string of impressive performances for the under-23s this season.

Also brought in from the cold were Jack Price - making his first start since mid-September - and George Saville, in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Lambert's first priority was to make Wolves harder to beat and stop them conceding in the first 15 minutes. Well he certainly managed both of those in the first half - but it made for a dreadful game to watch.

Wolves pressed high up the field to begin with, with Price and Conor Coady snapping away at Preston's midfielders. The back line was noticeably higher up the field than in recent weeks.

They soon began to sit a little deeper but Preston were finding Wolves a tough nut to crack and aside from a couple of pot-shots they offered nothing.

The problem was that Wolves didn't produce a single shot of their own in the first half.

Enobakhare floated and buzzed around the Preston third but, with little space to play in, found it difficult to make an impact. Matt Doherty was Wolves' best attacking outlet with a promising couple of bursts into the box, but aside from that Lambert's team were toothless.

The early stages of the second half were a minor improvement. Wolves at least had their first shot, with Doherty firing low and not too far wide from Saville's cut-back.

But there was nothing creative about Wolves' play. Lambert sent on Jed Wallace for Enobakhare, who had struggled to make an impact.

Preston threatened more regularly at the other end in what was still a dire encounter and Wolves were lucky to avoid giving away a spot kick (to be fair it's about time they had some luck from a referee).

Wolves began to commit more men forward in the closing stages - and Lambert showed attacking intent when he sent on Ivan Cavaleiro for Jack Price with four minutes left - but they couldn't break the deadlock.

It took until 86 minutes for their first attempt on target when Nouha Dicko headed Cavaleiro's cross at Chris Maxwell, and the two players combined again in injury time but on this occasion Dicko headed wide.

An awful game to watch, then, but Lambert will be pleased that the first building block is in place.

Key moments

54 - A cross comes out to Paul Gallagher who takes a touch and fizzes a fierce volley just over the bar from 20 yards.

58 - Wolves' first shot of the match comes from Matt Doherty. A deep cross is controlled by George Saville - he tees up Doherty who drills wide from 20 yards. Decent effort.

72 - Jordan Hugill heads a free kick just past the post for Preston.

75 - And now Simon Makienok nods onto the roof of the net from just six yards. Best chance of the game so far.

80 - Dominic Iorfa appears to push Marnick Vermijl in the box but the referee says no penalty. Aiden McGeady then fires into the side netting.

87 - Wolves' first attempt on target and it's a decent chance. Ivan Cavaleiro, with his first touch, swings over a great cross but Dicko nods at Chris Maxwell from a good position.

94 - Wolves' best chance of the match but Dicko spurns it. Another great cross from Cavaleiro and this time Dicko heads wide from inside the six-yard box.

95 - Hugill is through on goal in the dying seconds but shoots over. Lonergan came out well but he had to score.

Position in the table

19th (17 points from 16 matches)

Teams

Preston (4-3-3): Maxwell; Baptiste, Wright, Clarke (c), Cunningham; Pearson, Gallagher (Makienok, 58), Johnson; McGeady, Hugill, Robinson (Vermijl, 77). Subs: Lindegaard, Doyle, Grimshaw, Spurr, Huntington.

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Lonergan; Iorfa, Batth (c), Hause, Doherty; Price (Cavaleiro, 86), Coady; Costa (Dicko, 78), Enobakhare (Wallace, 64), Saville; Bodvarsson. Subs: Flatt, Stearman, Saiss, Teixeira.

Attendance: 12,863

Referee: James Linington (Newport)