Preston North End vs Burnley. Sky Bet Championship.
DeepdaleAttendance20,212.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Preston and Burnley at Deepdale as Taylor Harwood-Bellis put the Clarets ahead, but North End struck back through Jordan Storey to earn a point.
Tuesday 13 September 2022 23:16, UK
Preston and Burnley gave it everything in a cracking Lancashire derby but had to share the spoils at the end of a 1-1 draw.
Both goals arrived early in front of a bumper crowd, but the second period proved something of a disappointment following a thrilling first half.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis' thumping header gave the Clarets a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute but Jordan Storey cancelled it out with Preston's first home goal of the season just five minutes later.
Clarets boss Vincent Kompany, whose side probably just about shaded this one, will at least be satisfied that his outfit are now unbeaten in six games.
A packed Deepdale saluted the late Queen Elizabeth II with an impeccably-observed minute's silence, after which Burnley bossed the opening exchanges.
Jay Rodriguez saw an early shot blocked following a mistake by North End's Ben Whiteman before the Clarets struck the first blow.
It was a routine set-piece goal, with Manchester City loanee Harwood-Bellis leaping superbly to head home Josh Brownhill's out-swinging corner-kick and bag his first senior goal.
It didn't take long for North End to level in front of a rocking Deepdale, as Storey's header just about crossed the line after Robbie Brady's corner wasn't cleared.
There was then a period of relative calm before the visitors were next to threaten after 25 minutes when skipper Jack Cork forced Freddie Woodman into a decent stop.
Manuel Benson was a real handful for Burnley, and he almost made it 2-1 on the half-hour mark when his curling free-kick flicked off the wall before drifting just wide.
The game was also becoming rather feisty as referee Peter Bankes took action following a number of crunching challenges.
The Clarets were in command in the run-up to half-time, with Vitinho and Connor Roberts also threatening a second for Kompany's men.
Burnley continued their impressive momentum into the second period, and only four minutes had passed when Benson crashed a low drive into the side-netting.
North End were trying to build their own momentum but they couldn't find a way through a resolute Clarets back-line.
By the three-quarter point of the game this one was still very much up for grabs, with both sides seeking some much-needed inspiration.
Rodriguez saw a shot blocked as the Clarets pressed again, while North End had the final shout when sub Alan Browne nipped in to force Arijanet Muric into a smart save.
Preston's Ryan Lowe: "We've been up against a fantastic outfit tonight, but we've ended up limiting them to minimal chances. I don't think they really hurt us that much. With a bit more quality at the top end we can do so much better. When you look at Burnley, they've got the resources and some real quality players, so I'll take a point, it could be an important one.
"Both teams tried to win the game in different ways, but as far as we were concerned I just thought maybe we lacked that bit of a cutting edge. It certainly wasn't for the want of trying. We got some fantastic balls into their box, but you have to get someone on the end of them. As a group we're still learning massively, especially out of possession. We tried to win it, but it's not quite happened for us."
Burnley's Vincent Kompany: "There's still a lot more to come from us. It was a derby game away from home so I think it's a point gained, but we deserved to win. In the first half we created a lot of chances, and if we'd taken a few more we could have finished the game. We started forcing it a bit too much in the second half, though, and don't forget Preston have got five clean sheets so far this season.
"We produced plenty of good cutbacks and made runs into the opposition box, so as long as we keep putting ourselves into those areas of the field, we'll be okay as the season goes on. We're definitely working towards that, and we have shown that we can be dangerous. These are the little margins in this division, so we just have to keep working."
