Norwich City 0-0 Preston North End: Lilywhites end losing run with Carrow Road draw
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There has not been a home win in Norwich v Preston league matches since February 2019
Preston ended a run of three successive league defeats as a battling performance earned them a point against Norwich at Carrow Road.
The Canaries were looking to make it four wins out of five, having shrugged off their own slump from mid-September through October, and they dominated possession in the opening half, with Marcelino Nunez inches wide as he tried his luck from 25 yards.
North End, though, carried a greater threat after the break and Ben Whiteman's shot from the edge of the box hit the crossbar after Angus Gunn failed to gather Ali McCann's cross.
Substitute Liam Gibbs was just off target from Gabriel Sara's through ball, but Norwich could not find a way through as they drew at home for the first time this season.
Preston drop a place to ninth in the Championship, but just one point outside the play-off places - despite a run of two wins in 13 matches - with Norwich two points further back in 13th ahead of a midweek trip to Sheffield Wednesday and next weekend's East Anglian derby at Ipswich Town.
Adam Idah was rewarded for his stoppage-time winner at Bristol City in Norwich's previous game with a recall to the starting XI, along with Christian Fassnacht, while North End boss Ryan Lowe made four changes to his side.
The Canaries seized the initiative from the outset, looking to break forward at pace, despite heavy rain, and Sara saw an early effort deflected away off Jack Whatmough.
Freddie Woodman had to go down smartly to deny Onel Hernandez before Fassnacht saw a goalbound shot from a tight angle blocked by Liam Lindsay.
It took Preston 35 minutes to muster any kind of attempt on goal - but they almost went in front after the break when Brad Potts glanced Alan Browne's free-kick just past the post following a foul on Liam Millar.
Canaries boss David Wagner sent on top scorer Jonathan Rowe and midfielder Liam Gibbs, but Preston continued to look dangerous and after Potts was just too high with a powerful left-foot shot, they went even closer when Whiteman struck the woodwork.
Norwich no longer had the spark they showed in the first half, but finished strongly, and after Gibbs' near thing, Shane Duffy had a header blocked on the line and Nunez again tried his luck from distance without the necessary accuracy, while Whatmough was unable to force the ball home in a scramble at the other end.
Norwich head coach David Wagner told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"I have no complaints about the shift put in by the players but offensively we lacked a bit of creativity and were not ruthless.
"In a game like this, you will not create nine or 10 clear-cut chances, but we created two or three and these are the moments when you have to kill the game.
"But defensively we played very well, our counter press was top class, we nailed them in the final third and more or less gave nothing away.
"They had their first corner in stoppage time, we had 10 so it's clear who should have won this game - it's frustrating, but I can see good things as well."
Preston boss Ryan Lowe:
"It was a solid, resolute performance and our application was spot on.
"This is a difficult place to come to and our attitude going into the game was to keep the back door shut and whatever happens at the other end we will take.
"It is a fantastic point after a disappointing run of results and a lot of hard work has got us there against a good team who have been on a decent run.
"This is an important building block for us and now we need to build on it."