Preston North End vs Blackburn Rovers. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston and Blackburn Rovers at Deepdale
Saturday 22 April 2023 21:20, UK
Dominic Hyam's 95th-minute own goal denied Blackburn the chance to move back into the Championship's top six and rescued local rivals Preston a last-gasp 1-1 draw at Deepdale.
Hyam was left holding his head in his hands after turning Liam Delap's cross past his own goalkeeper Aynsley Pears, only moments after Ryan Hedges had missed a sitter to double the visitors' lead.
Blackburn had looked like leaving Deepdale with three points through Sammy Szmodics' classy strike 10 minutes from time, which would have lifted them up to fifth in the table and left Preston four points off the play-offs.
Preston had failed to regularly test Pears before Hyam's blunder, with only Ben Whiteman and Ali McCann forcing any meaningful saves out of the visiting goalkeeper, while Szmodics saw what appeared to be an earlier opener ruled out for a Maradona-esque handball.
But after Preston's late equaliser earned them a share of the local bragging rights, they move two points adrift of the top six, while Blackburn sit behind sixth-placed Millwall on goal difference.
There was more than just local pride at stake in Lancashire with a near-packed house all hoping a good result could keep either side's promotion push alive - and dent the other's in the process.
With that in mind, a first half of few clear-cut chances was the last thing both Blackburn and Preston wanted, with the visitors regularly looking dangerous on the break but without the final ball to show for it.
Jon Dahl Tomasson was sufficiently displeased to change two of his front three at the break, and immediately saw the results as substitute Hedges began to pull the strings on the right flank.
That said, Preston had forged the better chances to that point, with a Whiteman free-kick pulling a comfortable save from Pears and Tom Cannon dragging a shot wide.
The second half comfortably belonged to the visitors, who appeared to have a breakthrough when Szmodics' diving header beat Freddie Woodman - only for assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis, returning to work for the first time since his incident with Liverpool's Andrew Robertson, to correctly rule the goal out for a handball at full stretch from the forward.
He redeemed himself with 10 minutes remaining, latching onto a ball in behind and turning Andrew Hughes before slotting past Woodman with a fine finish.
It looked as though that would be that given Preston's toothlessness in front of goal, and Hedges should have wrapped up victory in the fourth minute of stoppage time when clean through, but shot straight at Woodman with a tame effort.
There was barely time for him to pay for that error - but Preston managed it nonetheless. Straight from that move, Delap broke down the right and put a low cross into the six-yard box. Hyam, unable to adjust his stance in time, could only divert the ball past Pears before sinking to the ground in anguish.
Even a point for Preston still leaves their play-off push out of their hands but their fans celebrated their late equaliser like a victory come the final whistle, with their gap to the top six halved in the final minutes.
Preston's Ryan Lowe:
"Both teams needed it, and it was a fair result a draw, but it feels a bit better for us.
"I thought it was two local rivals fighting it out to get three points and sustain a play-off push. We edged it first half and could have gone in a goal up.
"They make changes at half-time and disrupt us a bit. If we'd gotten the ball forward more and sustained attacks, we'd have opportunities. Szmodics then breaks away, cuts inside and it's a great finish. But the character from the lads, every time they give us it.
"I'm really pleased for Liam Delap. He's found it tough, game time and not scoring many goals but hopefully he can continue now for the next two games and see where it takes us.
"We've got two good games to go into and if we can take it into the last game of the season at home to Sunderland I'll be pleased."
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:
"We are disappointed and frustrated the result didn't come our way. We worked so hard, and you concede the way we did…We should have buried the game with the chance just before. When you don't get the three points, every point is important.
"You need to bury it or run to the corner flag. That is football, they are doing their best.
"It was an excellent goal [from Szmodics], well deserved. We could have been more clinical but when I see them working that hard, it is great to see. You can make mistakes on the ball.
"The players have brought us into a situation where nobody thought we would be with our young squad. We want to prove people wrong with three games to go."
Blackburn are live on Sky Sports again on Tuesday with another Lancashire derby against already-promoted Burnley; kick-off at 8pm.
Preston's next game is away to another promotion hopeful, Sheffield United, next Saturday; kick-off at 3pm.
