Preston 1-1 Bristol City: Aaron Wilbraham's late header rescues a point for Robins

Aaron Wilbraham's late header rescued a point for Bristol City as they snatched a 1-1 draw against fellow Championship new boys Preston at Deepdale.

Neil Kilkenny's brilliant second-half strike looked to have given Preston their first league win in five before Wilbraham struck to level up at Deepdale.

The draw does end a run of three straight league defeats for Preston and also makes it three games without a win for Bristol City.

The first chance of the game came for Preston in the seventh minute when Chris Humphrey latched onto Kilkenny's ball in behind and whistled a shot narrowly wide of the far post from 15 yards.

Jonathan Kodjia had scored in four of his last five games for Bristol City and threatened after 28 minutes, but his left-footed effort from 18 yards was superbly deflected wide by Paul Huntington.

And the visitors continued to look lively two minutes later as Derrick Williams played a slick one-two with Kodjia on the edge of the box before his cross to Wilbraham was blocked by Bailey Wright at the near post.

Preston's best passing move of the half came after 42 minutes when Stevie May and Greg Cunningham combined well down the left but Cunningham's shot from a tight angle was deflected into the side-netting.

Luke Freeman had offered the biggest threat for the visitors all half and went close after 45 minutes when his effort from 20 yards was tipped around the post by Jordan Pickford.

Preston's Joe Garner is yet to score this season but was within inches of changing that in first-half stoppage time as his thunderous strike from 25 yards cannoned back off the bar.

Simon Grayson's home side started the second half on the front foot and Daniel Johnson broke inside the left edge of the area after 49 minutes but was denied by a brilliant left-legged save by Frank Fielding.

But the home side were not unhappy for long as moments later Kilkenny picked the ball up 25 yards out and curled a superb right-footed strike into the top left-hand corner to give Preston the lead.

Steve Cotterill's visitors missed a golden chance to equalise in the 71st minute as substitute Mark Little slid the ball wide of the far post from eight yards.

But the visitors continued to threaten and got their reward in the 81st minute when Wilbraham powered a header home from six yards to equalise after a terrific whipped cross from Joe Bryan.

The visitors looked most likely to grab a winner in the closing stages and would have done had Pickford not produced a superb save to deny substitute Kieran Agard from close range before Freeman missed a sitter from six yards to snatch the win.