Dogged Preston frustrate Ipswich
Preston North End 0 Ipswich Town
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Your support makes all the difference.Ipswich were held to a goalless draw at Deepdale as George Burley's men, who hit eight goals in the Uefa Cup on Thursday, could find no way through against workmanlike Preston.
The Suffolk side were thwarted by the Finnish goalkeeper Tepi Moilanen who made three crucial saves – two of them in quick succession from the teenager Darren Ambrose. The visitors had a host of chances, but maybe their fourth game in eight days finally took its toll. Burley conceded: "When you are away from home and have so many chances like that, you have really got to take one of them. But if we keep creating chances like that we'll certainly win plenty of games."
Burley made a host of changes to the team that thrashed Avenir Beggen 8-1 on Thursday. Darren Bent took over the role vacated by Marcus Stewart, who signed for Sunderland last week.
Marcus Bent injected some excitement when he seized on a poor Moilanen clearance and let fly with a rasping shot after 20 minutes. The keeper stretched a hand to tip the shot onto the crossbar.
Preston fans were appealing for a goal when Ipswich's Andy Marshall took a step back in dealing with a curling Graham Alexander corner. They felt the ball had crossed the line after 37 minutes, but the referee Graham Laws did not agree.
Ipswich's Matt Holland was denied by the woodwork when he got a touch to Jamie Clapham's powerful free-kick. The ball bounced off the left post and Colin Murdock headed away the danger. Ambrose almost broke the deadlock after 70 minutes when he broke away on the left flank and fired in a 10-yard shot, only for it to be blocked by Moilanen's knee.
The Spaniard Pablo Couñago, a hat-trick hero against the Luxembourg part-timers, was thrown on for the last 20 minutes. But again it was Ambrose, an England youth international, who posed a threat when he raced towards goal and had another shot blocked by the foot of Moilanen, who then held on to the rebound, 12 minutes from time.
In a frantic end the Jamaican Ricardo Fuller made some dangerous advances on goal and Preston's substitute Dickson Etuhu was involved in a clash with Marshall.
Preston North End: Moilanen, Alexander, Lucketti, Murdock, Edwards, Rankine, Skora, McKenna, Fuller, Healy (Etuhu, 77), Cresswell. Substitutes not used: Lucas (gk), Jackson, Keane, Cartwright.
Ipswich Town: Marshall, Wright, Hreidarsson, Gaardsoe, Brown, Ambrose, Magilton, Holland, Clapham, M Bent, D Bent (Couñago, 69). Substitutes not used: Pullen (gk), T Miller, George, Wilnis.
Referee: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).
Bookings: Preston: Murdock. Ipswich: Holland, Gaardsoe, Ambrose.
Attendance: 15,357.
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