Bristol City vs Preston North End. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton Gate StadiumAttendance23,313.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Preston at Ashton Gate as Will Keane scored on his second North End debut to earn Ryan Lowe's men a point after Sam Bell's opener
Saturday 5 August 2023 18:30, UK
Will Keane marked the start of his second spell as a Preston player with a late equaliser in a 1-1 Championship draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The hosts took a 47th-minute lead when a Harry Cornick long throw into the box caused havoc in the Preston defence and, after Nahki Wells fired against a post, Sam Bell was on hand to slot home the rebound.
But North End stormed back and it was no surprise when Keane, back at the club he served on loan from Manchester United in 2015, levelled after 86 minutes with a smart shot on the turn from the middle of a crowded penalty area.
It was no more than Preston deserved for an impressive second-half display that saw them create numerous chances. But City will see it as two points lost after leading for so long.
The home side made strong claims for a penalty after nine minutes when Wells went down under challenge from Liam Lindsay, but referee David Webb waved play on.
It proved the only moment of excitement for either set of fans in a turgid first half hour, full of passing errors, that saw the teams cancel each other out and defences dominate.
City suffered a blow after 22 minutes when skipper Andreas Weimann was forced off by injury, with Joe Williams sent on as his replacement.
The entire first half featured only one clear chance, created by City after 38 minutes, when Wells got in behind the Preston defence and picked out Bell at the far post.
The young striker could not have wished for a better opportunity, but fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who advanced from his line to make a smothering save.
North End threatened from a couple of crosses, but were unable to force a save from Max O'Leary during an instantly forgettable 45 minutes.
Bell's goal at the start of the second period finally set the game alight. But it was Preston, who responded best to it and last showed an attacking edge.
Mads Frokjaer had a 20-yard shot saved by the diving O'Leary and Alan Browne fired over from distance before connecting sweetly with a volley from a Kian Best cross and seeing his effort smack against a post.
City were all at sea. Zak Vyner had to bravely block a Keane drive and Brad Potts sent a low effort inches wide with Preston totally dominant.
Home boss Nigel Pearson responded by making two changes after 69 minutes, sending on striker Tommy Conway and winger Mark Sykes for Wells and Cornick, and his team seemed to have weathered the storm.
But still North End pressed and Keane's leveller sparked joyous scenes among a large contingent of travelling fans.
Bristol City's Nigel Pearson:
"It was a stop-start affair. We are disappointed not to win after taking the lead, but Preston created some chances and will feel they deserved something. It was a reminder of how tough the Championship is. They came with a plan to be difficult to break down and we didn't use the ball well enough.
"It was largely about whether we could get our full-backs forward and on the ball. For whatever reason, they were not involved in our attacking play enough."
Preston's Ryan Lowe:
"Will is capable of adding 14 goals to our team this season. That's how many he got last season and, while I don't want to put pressure on him, I have faith in his ability to excite our fans. His goal was a fantastic finish, a great swivel and a shot into the bottom corner. It showed that if we give him opportunities, he will score for us. Mads has fantastic quality, which is why we have invested heavily in him. I see him also scoring goals, but he has to get up to speed with the Championship because it is a ruthless league.
"Kian [Best] is still only a baby and got cramp at the end, but he worked his socks off and was intelligent in his passing range. His quality on the ball is different class and I have never been afraid to throw young players into my teams if they are good enough. I thought the whole team were fantastic. The players did all we asked of them off the ball in the first half and in the second we created enough chances to feel unlucky not to take all three points. Bristol's goal worked against them in a way. We really got our backsides in gear after it and had them on the ropes, but I'll take a point away at Bristol City, who have some very good players."
