Burnley 0-0 Preston North End: Tempers flare in controversial goalless draw

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley and Preston North End at Turf Moor on Saturday; Tempers flare in controversial goalless draw between Clarets and Lilywhites.

Saturday 5 October 2024 16:03, UK

Burnley missed the chance to go top of the Championship as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Preston in a scrappy, occasionally bad-tempered Lancashire derby.

The visitors gained a valuable point in their bid to pull away from the relegation zone, in their first outing since striker Milutin Osmajic was given an eight-match ban for biting.

Preston could feel hard done, as they saw a fourth-minute goal by Emil Riis wrongly disallowed for offside.

Riis darted on to Ben Whiteman's clever low free-kick to sweep a shot into the far corner of the net, and television replays showed that the Danish striker had got the timing of his run right.

The visitors set out to frustrate their hosts - goalkeeper Freddie Woodman had already incurred one warning from referee Gavin Ward before collecting a booking late in the first half for time wasting - but created more of the chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Ali McCann lashed over from the edge of the penalty area after Brad Potts had headed back an Andrew Hughes cross, while Riis had an angled shot blocked by Maxime Esteve at the end of another Preston break.

Burnley did threaten to break through the Preston defence at times. Jaidon Anthony latched on to a lovely pass from left-back Lucas Pires in the 27th minute, and cut past Liam Lindsay before drilling a shot that Woodman did well to push out.

But Preston fashioned three more openings before half-time, as home goalkeeper James Trafford struggled to gather Robbie Brady's left-foot volley from 20 yards out, McCann fired over when leaning back as Potts' low ball in flicked off Riis, and Kaine Kesler-Hayden grazed the top of the bar with an angled volley as he stretched beyond the far post to reach Mads Frokjaer's floated cross.

The second half lost its rhythm as Burnley continued to struggle for a breakthrough and Preston threatened only intermittently.

Burnley had a penalty appeal rejected when Anthony looked to have his shirt tugged by Robbie Brady as he arrived in the area to meet Luca Koleosho's left-wing cross on the run.

That raised the temperature significantly, with McCann getting into a shoving match with Burnley captain Josh Brownhill after tripping him from behind. Both men were booked.

Then Lyle Foster was left in a heap on the floor after being shoved in the chest by Liam Lindsay, with players from both sides then crowding in on each other, and Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley booked for his part in the fracas.

Foster had a chance to give Burnley victory with two minutes left when a half-cleared Koleosho cross dropped at his feet, but substitute Jack Whatmough made a fine block, and ensured Preston a point.

The managers

Burnley's Scott Parker:

"It was a busy week for us. We decided to keep the same team. The game looked a little bit lethargic for us, for sure.

"I thought the players gave absolutely everything. We faced up to the battle, which was clearly there today.

"I think everyone could see that in terms of how Preston approached the game and disrupted it, certainly in the second half, and just took the wind out of the game in certain moments.

"I think the second half, in terms of the stoppages, and how they managed the clock a little bit was obviously evident and key, and certainly when momentum was building for us, there was a pause in the game, but it is what it is."

Preston's Paul Heckingbottom:

"Yeah, that's what's frustrating - how hard you work. Then the players recognise it's on, set it up, deliver it.

"When I saw it live, I thought it was offside, but then to be told it's onside, it's disappointing for me, disappointing for them and the fans. It'll not be reflected in the data, because it's a bad decision. If that had gone in and we'd got three points, I don't think anyone could have begrudged us that.

"In the first half, we were really good with the ball, really good without the ball. Second half became a bit more of a war of attrition, and we didn't get in behind them as much as we would have liked. Burnley didn't get in our box as often as they would have liked. It had much more of a derby feel to it, and became a more difficult game to manage for the ref.

"We've come to play a good team and really taken the game to them, which is how we want to play every game. I was really pleased with the performance. I just wish we'd have got three points."