Preston North End 0-0 Derby County: Rams frustrated in Deepdale stalemate
- Published
- comments
Wayne Rooney's Derby have now taken nine points from their last six games, losing only once
Derby County produced another good performance but failed to make their pressure count as they played out a goalless draw with Preston at Deepdale.
Wayne Rooney's side now have six clean sheets this season, but could not find a way to break the deadlock at the other end after losing striker Sam Baldock to injury in the first half.
Ravel Morrison, Tom Lawrence and Festy Ebosele all tested keeper Daniel Iversen in the home goal as Preston were restricted to just 29% of possession in the opening 45 minutes.
Centre-back Curtis Davies hit the crossbar with a header after the break, but Rams keeper Ryan Allsop had to save from Scott Sinclair and Emil Riis Jakobsen as the Lilywhites belatedly found some cohesion in attack.
Derby remain bottom of the table with three points, six from safety, following their 12-point deduction for going into administration - a sanction they are appealing against - while Preston climbed one place to 17th.
There was a minute's applause before kick-off for Preston owner Trevor Hemmings, whose death was announced on Monday, as home skipper Alan Browne laid one of his trademark flat caps behind the goal.
Tributes were left outside the ground for Preston owner Trevor Hemmings, whose death was announced on Monday
All tickets for the match were priced at £5, with the gate receipts going to charities supported by Hemmings, while the corner flags were green and yellow - the colours his jockeys wore as a three-time Grand National winner.
There was little to lift the mood for home fans in the first half, with Ebosele's jinking run from halfway in added time providing a final underscoring of Derby's dominance.
Andrew Hughes glanced a header wide for Preston following the restart, but Morrison went close in reply before Davies' header back across the goal struck the bar and Iversen had to be alert to keep out Phil Jagielka's follow-up effort.
Preston improved after Sinclair replaced Tom Barkhuizen, but the former Celtic forward was foiled by Allsop in a one-on-one and sent another effort wide of the post.
Rooney sent on last season's top scorer Colin Kazim-Richards following a two-month injury lay-off with 13 minutes to go, a positive moment for the travelling Derby supporters amid their ongoing off-field problems.
Preston boss Frankie McAvoy told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"First half, we were nowhere near good enough - Derby were superior, the better team. We were going to change it in terms of some personnel at half-time, but I thought the performance was that bad, they needed to go out and show they're better than they showed in the first half.
"Ben Whiteman and Scott Sinclair gave us a bit more impetus and I thought in the last 25 minutes we were better when we went to 4-3-1-1. It's been a sombre week for everybody, with Mr Hemmings passing away, and sometimes the occasion can get the better of you and that might have been the case."
Derby manager Wayne Rooney told BBC Radio Derby:
"We were the better team, had full control of the game, especially in the first half, and created some good chances but couldn't find that goal. It was a good performance, good point, but it really should have been three.
"We are creating chances so it's maybe a lack of composure, not being ruthless enough in front of goal. We have to score more goals, it's as simple as that, but the flipside is three clean sheets in a row, which is pleasing."