PNE 1 Leicester City 1

It took until the 20th minute before the first chance of the match happened and it was Preston's Chris Sedgwick who hit a ten-yard right-foot shot from on the right-hand side of the penalty area which was too hot to hold for Leicester keeper Stuart Taylor after a Paul McKenna free-kick.

City made it 1-0 after 24 minutes when an Alan Maybury right-foot right-wing cross was not cleared and the ball fell to David Connolly who hit a 25-yard right-foot shot into the top left-hand corner of the net.

Sedgwick had another chance after 28 minutes when his right-foot right-wing cross shot hit Jordan Stewart and went for right-wing corner.

Graham Alexander had a right-foot shot from 30 yards saved by Taylor and the ball had to be cleared.

On the hour Maybury was booked for foul on Matthew Hill, a £100,000 signing from Bristol City, on the edge of the box from the left-hand side.

A minute later Sedgwick had a right-foot shot saved by Taylor for a right-wing corner.

In the 63rd minute Stewart fouled Sedgwick on the edge of the box and Paul McKenna hit a 20-yard right-foot free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the net to make it 1-1.

Richard Cresswell and David Nugent almost snatched it late on for the Lilywhites, but the game ended all level.