Preston come from behind to beat Coventry

Posted Sunday, November 05, 2023 by PA

Preston came from behind to beat Coventry 3-2 at Deepdale to end a winless run of seven games and climb back into the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Haji Wright put the Sky Blues ahead before Duane Holmes swiftly equalised, and Preston skipper Alan Browne put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot before half-time.

Milutin Osmajic headed North End’s third after the break, before Wright grabbed his and Coventry’s second before full-time.

The win sees Preston move into sixth place while Coventry remain in 20th and have now lost four games in succession.

Both sides went into the clash out of form and Preston’s Jordan Storey had the afternoon’s first chance, side footing over from close range.

From a Sky Blues corner, Preston countered through Liam Millar who fed in Osmajic but he fired straight at Ben Wilson after 10 minutes.

The hosts continued to have better opportunities as Liam Lindsay nodded Mads Frokjaer-Jensen’s right-wing cross wide on the quarter-hour mark.

Coventry stopper Wilson was fortunate not to concede after failing to hold on to Browne’s effort but saw it bobble just wide.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play when Freddie Woodman parried Matt Godden’s shot into Wright’s path and the Sky Blues man put Coventry ahead after 33 minutes, though there were suggestions of offside.

However, Preston were back on level terms not long after when Coventry failed to clear and Holmes blasted a low effort past Wilson seven minutes from half-time.

North End won a penalty shortly after when Kyle McFadzean bundled Osmajic over in the box and skipper Browne duly converted to give Preston the lead.

Ryan Lowe’s side looked for a third before the break, but Osmajic could not direct Brad Potts’ dangerous low cross to the target.

Following an open start to the second half, Coventry substitute Ellis Simms fired at Woodman as the hour-mark approached, before the Preston stopper tipped Ben Sheaf’s fierce drive over.

Sheaf rifled through a crowd as Coventry sought an equaliser, while Millar’s deflected shot was claimed by Wilson at the other end.

But Preston got their third when Millar’s floated cross was nodded home from close range by Osmajic with 19 minutes to go.

Wright tried to reduce the deficit with a long-range effort but could not find the target, while Simms lashed against the side-netting shortly after.

Coventry did grab another back when substitute Josh Eccles fired at Woodman and, though he kept the 83rd-minute effort out, Wright was again first there to tap home.

But it was not enough for the Sky Blues to avoid defeat with late pressure not yielding an equaliser.