Swansea 0-1 Preston: Added-time own goal from Matt Grimes sinks Swans

Scott Sinclair celebrates with Preston team-mates after their winning goal at Swansea City

Swansea City's faltering bid for automatic promotion was dealt another blow as they conceded an added-time goal to lose at home to Preston.

Preston controlled a first half of little quality, with Brad Potts twice going close.

The second period was also scrappy, Preston substitute Scott Sinclair heading over against his former club.

Sinclair had another chance in injury time, and this time his shot was turned into his own net by Matt Grimes.

The Swans failed to produce a single shot on target, making it four successive defeats and four games without a goal for Steve Cooper's men.

They are now 10 points adrift of second-placed Watford, and they are not even assured of a play-off spot with Bournemouth lurking in seventh place just four points behind.

Preston are up to 16th, 13 points clear of the relegation zone, after a first win under interim manager Frankie McAvoy.

With Watford drawing at Middlesbrough earlier on Monday, there was an opportunity for Swansea to close the gap between themselves and the top two - but they squandered that chance with an abject display.

Having lost their previous three matches and failed to score a single goal during that time, Swansea had sought to arrest their slump with a tactical change.

For the first time this season, head coach Cooper ditched his favoured 3-5-2 formation for a 4-3-3, with Morgan Whittaker brought into the attack alongside Jamal Lowe and Andre Ayew.

But they were barely in the game as the Swans were pinned back by their tenacious and organised opponents.

Preston ensured the match was played almost exclusively in Swansea's half and they created the best two chances of the first half, with Potts firing one shot narrowly over and having another saved by Freddie Woodman.

Then shortly before half-time, Swansea defender Marc Guehi was perhaps fortunate only to be shown a yellow card for pulling back Ched Evans as the Preston striker seemed to have a clear run on goal.

The second half was no better in terms of overall quality but it was a more even contest.

Swansea, now without a goal for more than 400 minutes, worked the ball towards the edge of the Preston penalty area but a shot on target still proved elusive as Conor Hourihane's mishit long-range effort sailed well over the bar.

Sinclair came on for Preston as they upped their search for a winner in the closing moments and, after missing a close-range header, he atoned by firing an injury-time shot towards goal which Swansea captain Grimes deflected into his own net.

Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper:

"We're really disappointed, we didn't do enough to win the game.

"You could say we're a little bit unfortunate with the ricochets and how it [the winning goal] has gone in but that's three long throws in three games where we've conceded and lost the games. That's an issue.

"We know that we're not looking as much of a threat as we should do. We don't look like scoring a goal. They're the two things, without having too much time to reflect, that are playing on my mind at the moment."

Preston interim manager Frankie McAvoy:

"I am delighted for the players and I thought it was the least we deserved for our efforts.

"We worked on a lot of things before the game and they came off - including long throws, where we thought we could cause them problems through our size and presence.

"There is great togetherness and camaraderie within the group that has always been there. It's one game at a time and we will try and keep this going."