Town's run of wins, five in a row before today, came to an end with a hard-fought draw against Preston at Deepdale. The home side had the best of the first half and went ahead through David Healy but a better Town came out in the second half and Pablo Couñago's penalty levelled the scores.

The Blues lined up as against Palace on Tuesday with both Jim Magilton and Georges Santos seemingly over their recent niggles.

The game took a while to get going with the first chance Ricardo Fuller's shot wide on 14 from inside the area on the left after a turn which had taken both Fabian Wilnis and Richard Naylor.

Wilnis was almost played in by Couñago a minute later but Preston keeper Jonathan Gould was out quickly to claim.

David Healy, who had already headed a decent chance wide, put the Lillywhites ahead in the 20th minute. Wilnis and Naylor failed to decide who should follow Cresswell on the left and the former Sheffield Wednesday striker crossed for Healy whose header was pushed into the corner of the net by a despairing Kelvin Davis.

Two minutes later Cresswell wasn't far away from adding a second, his header from Alexander's freekick flying over the bar from close-in.

Town were yet to test Gould and were by no means showing the second half form from Tuesday night at Crystal Palace. The first real shot on goal was a mis-hit Westlake 20 yard volley which went only inches past the keeper's left post.

Kelvin Davis did well in the 27th minute to tip Paul McKenna's deflected freekick over the bar with the ball seemingly dipping behind him and into the net.

Davis was again on his toes when given a tricky backpass to deal with by Richard Naylor, the keeper nipping in to clear ahead of Cresswell.

Preston came close to another goal when a corner led to a goalmouth scramble from which Fuller's effort was cleared off the line by Chris Bart-Williams, the ball finally ending up in Kelvin Davis' hands prior to Cresswell stabbing home.

Town were lucky to still be only one goal behind, but as the half ended the Blues had a number of shots from the edge of the area which were deflected wide, two from Wright and one from Magilton. The Blues created nothing dangerous from the corners, although Gould's punches clear were less than convincing.

No changes at the break and soon after Town again had an escape. Fuller broke quickly on the right and sent in a low cross which Richard Naylor did well to cut out, although only half clearing. Kelvin Davis completed the job by beating Healy to the ball.

The Blues were looking more fluent in the second period and Chris Bart-Williams hit a shot which was deflected wide in the 47th minute. Soon after a Jim Magilton freekick almost landed at Pablo Couñago's feet in the six-yard box, but before the striker could react, Gould grabbed the ball.

On 53 Magilton almost scored a rare headed goal. The Blues' skipper flicked Jermaine Wright's cross at the near post but the ball flashed across the face of goal. Three minutes later Brian O'Neil picked up a yellow card for a foul on Bart-Williams.

Town were having the best of the possession without really testing Gould, but in the 63rd minute they were back on terms. A neat move down the right ended with Couñago playing a ball forward for Wilnis on the right, inside the area. As the Dutchman got to the ball referee Dermot Gallagher decided that he was impeded by Paul McKenna and awarded a penalty.

Couñago took the kick, despite his recent miss against Bradford. Once more he put the ball to the keeper's left but with more power than in previous games and Gould was beaten. Soon after Chris Bart-Williams was replaced by Tommy Miller, the loanee looking like he might have an injury.

Richard Naylor picked up his sixth booking of the season in the 67th minute for a foul on Ricardo Fuller on halfway.

Naylor came close to putting the Blues ahead on 71, the former striker heading Jim Magilton's freekick against the post while unmarked inside the Preston box. Georges Santos just failed to direct the rebound goalwards.

A minute later a corner create concern inside the Town box Davis stopping Cresswell's header.

On 80 Fuller took the ball past Kelvin Davis inside the area on the left but took it too far and conceded a goalkick.

At the other end Couñago, looking more dangerous as the game wore on, hit a shot from the left which Gould pushed out for a corner.

Miller's goal-bound shot deflected wide in the 83rd minute before a Magilton cross was just beyond Westlake who had taken up a dangerous position inside the box.

Much of the latter stages were played in the home side's half, but a Preston break ending in an Abbott shot over, served as a warning to Town.

Jim Magilton curled an 86th minute freekick high and wide before Wright went considerably closer with a shot from the edge of the box which only just went wide of Gould's left post.

Not Town's best performance, particularly in the first half although the second was an improvement and a draw was perhaps a fair result on the day, and probably enough to win Joe Royle the poisoned chalice that is the manager of the month award.

The defence displayed a number of moments of hesitation similar to those which allowed Crystal Palace to go two-up in 10 minutes on Tuesday but were more comfortable in the second period.

Up front Kuqi and Couñago were given their most difficult game for a while, particularly by the impressive Lucketti and at the other end Fuller and Cresswell were both a danger, although the Town support were less than enamoured by a couple of Fuller dives in the first half.

Had the game lasted another 10 minutes or so, Town would probably have scored a winner but on the day the Preston side were impressive on the break and a point probably sent everyone home reasonably happy.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, Santos, Naylor, Magilton, Wright, Bart-Williams (Miller 64), Westlake, Couñago, Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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