Preston 1-0 Peterborough: Patrick Bauer gives Preston first win of season
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Patrick Bauer has now scored in consecutive Championship appearances - eight months apart
Preston North End picked up their first points of the season as they grabbed a narrow win over Peterborough United at Deepdale.
Patrick Bauer scored the only goal after 14 minutes as North End moved off the bottom of the table.
The German defender, making his first league appearance since December, headed in from a Ryan Ledson free-kick.
But after picking up four points from two home games, it is two defeats out of two on the road for Peterborough.
North End's difficult start to the season has not been helped by Covid-19 issues, with Tom Barkhuizen still missing and captain Alan Browne, Liam Lindsay and Ched Evans all forced to isolate.
But it was Lindsay's replacement, Bauer, who came up with a powerful header that Posh goalkeeper Christy Pym could not keep out to put Preston in front.
They could have had a second before the break as Ben Whiteman hit the underside of the bar from 20 yards, while Pym denied Scott Sinclair in a one-on-one.
Peterborough had been quiet but Siriki Dembele was only prevented from equalising early in the second half by a clearance off the line from Sepp van den Berg after the forward had jinked his way through the defence while Daniel Iversen then made a fine save from Jonson Clarke-Harris.
There were chances at the other end as Pym made a string of saves to keep his team in the game but Bauer's goal was enough to get a first win of the campaign for Frankie McAvoy.
Preston North End manager Frankie McAvoy told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I asked the players to stand up and be counted. We had no points but the past is the past and our destiny was in our own hands.
"I asked them to go and take the game to Peterborough, who play a system which is tough to play against, but I thought offensively today we did really well.
"We worked so hard yesterday on what we needed to do and how to create opportunities and chances and we did that. The only part, the hardest part, is taking more of those opportunities that come along."
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:
"It's a very disappointing result, and a very disappointing performance in the first half.
"We didn't play with any conviction. I felt it was a game where we could come here and win.
"We have got an issue with set-pieces. We have brought in Andy Butler to help and it is not his fault as we line up accordingly, we're just not aggressive enough. And a big part of the Championship is set-pieces."