Middlesbrough 1-2 Preston: North End strike twice to deny Chris Wilder first win

Ched Evans (left) wheels away after scoring for PrestonImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Ched Evans (left) brought Preston back into it before Emil Riis grabbed the winner

Preston North End came from behind to shock Middlesbrough with a smash-and-grab performance at the Riverside Stadium in the Championship.

Ched Evans' header from a corner levelled it in the 77th minute after Paddy McNair had opened the scoring for Boro in the first half.

Emil Riis Jakobsen smashed home the winner minutes later after Sol Bamba failed to clear the ball.

Boro had no response as Chris Wilder's wait for his first win continued.

The new manager watched his side dominate but fail to get over the line in a 1-1 draw with Millwall in his first game in charge last Saturday, and it was a similar story again against the Lilywhites.

Boro were unable to increase their lead with Lee Peltier going closest after the restart, seeing his powerful shot tipped onto the crossbar by Daniel Iverson.

Preston scored from their two shots on target, ending a run of two consecutive defeats as Frankie McAvoy's side leapfrogged Middlesbrough into 14th in the Championship table.

The hosts dropped to 15th and have now gone five matches without a win.

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder told BBC Tees:

"The result is always the most important thing for me. What happens in both boxes is key. We dominated play, possession and we created chances. We were comfortable.

"With the work that we'll do in January we will improve. But it's the era now, and we should be sitting on six points after two games and we're not.

"We've not stuck the ball in the back of the net or kept it out of the net; it's simple things.

"They've [played as] individuals. These are things [the players] need to recognise."

Preston boss Frankie McAvoy told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I always felt if we could get a goal we'd go on to win the game.

"I spoke to the players at half-time and said 'look we've been 1-0 down before, we'll do what we did against Coventry'.

"We got fortunate. Their player makes a mistake at the end. He passes it to our player. But it's a good finish.

"The biggest thing is the team spirit. I felt like we showed that."

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