Sam Greenwood dribblingImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Sam Greenwood had a loan spell at Middlesbrough before joining Preston for the season this summer

A Jerry Yates header was enough for Derby to pick up an away point at Preston in what was a dull Championship affair.

Sam Greenwood opened the scoring for the hosts with a looping header but Derby responded just six minutes later as forward Yates found himself free to nod in an equaliser from a free-kick.

Chances were few and far between from then on, the closest thing to a winner coming just before the final whistle when Derby substitute Marcus Harness flashed a shot just over the bar.

A point apiece means Preston move up one place to 20th on 16 points, while Derby also climb to 11th on 20 points, six outside the play-off places.

Preston striker Milutin Osmajic was back in the matchday squad after serving an eight-match ban for biting Blackburn's Owen Beck in September.

But it was Leeds loanee Greenwood who showed his quality at Deepdale first, perfectly guiding home a quick-paced cross from left-footed North End centre-half Andrew Hughes.

The joyous scenes were short-lived in Lancashire, however, as the Rams' Yates, on loan from Swansea, scored his fourth league goal of the season, cleverly freeing himself from the hosts' defence to head past Freddie Woodman after a free-kick delivery.

Those six minutes proved to be the most entertaining period of the match with neither side managing to be incisive in the final third, the wet and windy conditions of Storm Bert not helping in the north west.

Derby particularly were non-threatening, with Yates' equaliser being their lone effort on target but Paul Warne's side nearly took the lead in the 41st minute as midfielder Liam Thompson's cross following a counter attack was nearly diverted into Preston's net by the Lilywhites' Benjamin Whiteman.

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom tried to up the home side's threat in the second half by bringing on Osmajic but the Montenegro international also could not find the target.

Emil Riis and Ebou Adams were both off target with efforts for their respective sides in a game increasingly looking for a spark.

Ex-Ipswich player Harness could have been the hero for the travelling Derby fans in injury time but his strike from outside the box was fired just over the cross bar, meaning the spoils were shared.

Heckingbottom knew 'exactly' how Derby would play

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We didn't do enough to win the game. The game didn't surprise me, we knew exactly how Derby have been picking up points.

"Really well organised, will do anything to stop you playing and disrupt. They're a massive threat at set-pieces and my biggest disappointment is that we got in front and then not long after give away a goal from a set play.

"From our point of view, we leave a runner and it's an easy goal for them."

Derby County manager Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby:

"Away from home, you don't want to lose points. We tried to win.

"I made all the subs to make us more aggressive, more attacking but we just came up short.

"That's no disrespect because this team just finished outside the play-offs last year. It's a really good assembled squad so the lads should take some real praise for that."

Media caption,

Derby head coach Paul Warne gives his thoughts following his side's draw with Preston North End

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