Shane Duffy earns Norwich point after fightback at Preston

Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2024 by PA

Shane Duffy ensured Norwich made it six matches without defeat as they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Preston in the Sky Bet Championship.

Sam Greenwood’s sixth-minute penalty put Preston in front and Duane Holmes grabbed a second for the home side six minutes later.

The Canaries rallied as the terrific Borja Sainz pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time and Duffy bagged the equaliser after 61 minutes.

It was the first time Preston have scored under Paul Heckingbottom at Deepdale without winning the match but they do remain unbeaten on home soil under the former Sheffield United manager’s reign.

Bums were barely on seats when Emil Riis caught the Norwich defence napping, latching onto an enticing ball in behind from Robbie Brady before being clumsily brought down inside the penalty box by the onrushing George Long.

Greenwood had been without a goal this season but he stepped up and slammed the ball straight down the middle, with Long moving to his right.

At the other end, Sainz should have done better on the swivel with Freddie Woodman in no man’s land after failing to gather a loose ball but his effort was weak and lacked elevation.

Early goals have been hard to come by at Deepdale this season but, under the lights, Heckingbottom’s men found themselves two-up within the first 12 minutes.

Greenwood this time turned provider with a neat flick to release Holmes in on goal and he struck across Long to get himself off the mark for the league campaign.

No other team in the Championship had collected more points in the last five games than Johannes Hoff Thorup’s men and glimpses of that form eventually began to show.

Sainz curled a 20-yard effort narrowly wide in the latter stages of the first half but he, and the Canaries, did eventually sing as the Spaniard ghosted in at the front post to turn Kellen Fisher’s cross home for his ninth goal of the season.

It was a blow for Preston but they came out firing after the interval and Riis should have restored their two-goal cushion on the stroke of the hour but, having left Duffy for dead after racing on to Greenwood’s ball over the top, he fired wide with just Long to beat.

Just minutes later, however, Duffy was leaving Preston defenders in his wake, carrying the ball up from the back before continuing his run into the opposition box and slotting a fantastic tee-up from Josh Sargent past Woodman.

North End ended the game strongly but struggled to carve out anything meaningful and Norwich seemed happy to take the point.