North End made changes after their defeat to Wolves on Saturday. A 4-4-2 formation was employed. Rudd stayed in goal but Kean and Laird were the full backs with Clarke and Huntungton filling the central roles.
Brownhill partnered Kilkenny in what must be one of the shortest midfield pairings ever. Hayhurst landed a start ont he wing with Humphrey on the opposite flank. Gallagher partnered Davies up front.
I will try to pad out the first half but I simply can't. There were no shots on goal by either team. There was no goalmouth action and the closest anyone came was on half time when a Humphrey cross was too high for Davies.
The second half started off with much of the same but given that neither side wanted extra time something had to give. The crown rose for the 54th minute applause to the recently deceased Preston fan, Mick Murphy, and then the game turned.
A ball was floated into the box by the visitors with no attackers close by. Rudd should have shouted to claim the ball but due to a lack of communication Clarke went to chest the ball down. His control was poor and Rudd scurried after the ball trying to prevent a corner. He did so only to push the ball into the path of Nouble who tapped home from an angle into an empty net.
Changes were then made as Grayson went for an equaliser. Garner came on and the game almost instantly changed. A corner came in and Garner won the header. In what seemed like a slow motion replay the tame header found its way through at least 2 if not more bodies with the keeper unable to stop the ball crossing the line.
The game then changed further only moments later. Garner this time controlling the ball in the box with his chest. He moved round a defender and fired home left footed.
It was then Ipswich who made changes with Mccoldrick coming on. Moments later he evaded his marker and was free to head home a cross from a matter of yards out. The game was level with both sides going for the win.
Holmes came on to play right wing with Humphrey playing right back. Hayhurst who had a poor night was off. Preston piled forward and got a winner thanks to Garner who completed his hat trick with another strike.
It was a thrilling end to a game that had started out as a damp squib. Preston not travel to Forest a week on Friday for the next round.