Norwich City 0-0 Preston North End: Goalless at Carrow Road

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Preston North End at Carrow Road on Saturday | The Canaries and the Lilywhites battle to a quiet goalless draw.

Saturday 9 December 2023 18:09, UK

Norwich were frustrated by a determined rearguard action from Preston as a hard-fought Championship encounter at Carrow Road ended goalless.

The visitors, who were on a run of three successive defeats, showed plenty of spirit against a Norwich side who had won three of their previous four games and just about deserved their share of the spoils.

For all their possession Norwich only threatened sporadically, with their best chance arriving in the closing stages when substitute Liam Gibbs missed the target with a clear sight of goal.

Preston hit the crossbar through Ben Whiteman but it was their defensive work that caught the eye on a miserable afternoon.

Norwich dominated a low-key first half in which Preston failed to register a single effort, on or off target.

The visitors were on their game defensively, however, and a low skidder from Marcelino Nunez which fizzed just wide was the only moment of excitement in the opener quarter.

The Canaries went even closer after 27 minutes when Onel Hernandez broke free on the left before bringing a comfortable save out of Freddie Woodman, with Jack Whatmough on hand to clear up the loose ends.

There was another scare for Preston on the half-hour mark, with Christian Fassnacht popping up at the back post and getting in a shot on goal after his initial header had been blocked but Liam Lindsay got in a vital block to keep the scoreline blank.

It was a similarly one-sided story after the interval, with dominant Norwich still struggling to create clear-cut openings.

Preston almost made them pay on 55 minutes when Brad Potts' glancing header from Alan Browne's free-kick was only just wide.

Norwich substitute Jon Rowe threatened at the other end with a volley which was well blocked but it was Preston who nearly opened the scoring just past the hour mark, Whiteman's first-time drive coming back off the crossbar after Angus Gunn had flapped at a high ball.

With the game approaching its final 10 minutes, Norwich wasted a glorious chance to edge ahead when Gabriel Sara picked out an unmarked Gibbs in the box, only for the substitute to guide the ball wastefully wide.

In a grandstand finish, Shane Duffy's powerful header from a corner was blocked on the line by a defender and Whatmough almost forced the ball home at the other end but it ended goalless.

The managers

Norwich's David Wagner:

"The feeling in the dressing room right now is one of frustration because I don't think anyone watching that game would have had any complaints if we had won it.

"Defensively we were very good, keeping them away from our goal, but going forward we lacked a bit of creativity.

"Even when you dominate a match you don't always create nine of 10 decent chances. Sometimes it is only two or three and that was the case and in those sort of games you just need to take one of them.

"Unfortunately we weren't able to do that - we just need to be a bit more ruthless in front of goal and that is something we will be working on.

"We have now had two successive clean sheets at home and have won one and drawn one.

"We have another home game on Wednesday (against Sheffield Wednesday) and we need to clear our heads and look forward to that one. There are a lot of games coming up this month and we have to make sure we are ready for them."

Preston's Ryan Lowe:

"It was a solid, resolute performance and our application was spot on. This is a difficult place to come to and our attitude going into the game was to keep the back door shut and whatever happens at the other end we will take.

"First and foremost I thought we defended really well and when it was needed there were plenty of blocks, good saves and good headers to keep them out. We also had our moments at the other end.

"It is a fantastic point after a disappointing run of results and a lot of hard work has got us there against a good team who have been on a decent run.

"This is an important building block for us and now we need to build on it.

"We are still in a fantastic position and now we need to follow this up with more good results."