Preston labour to victory over Wycombe in penalty shoot-out
Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was the Championship side's hero with two saves as they overcame Wycombe on penalties to book a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Woodman dived to his right to deny Dan Udoh and then leapt to his left to thwart former Lilywhites full-back Adam Reach allowing Ched Evans to seal a 4-2 win in the shootout.
It took Preston through to round five for the first time in a decade after a low-key goalless draw which saw debutant Chairboys keeper Will Norris deny Milutin Osmajic and tip over a late blast from Sam Greenwood, whose curling cross clipped the post.
At the other end Fred Onyedinma headed wide for the visitors when well-placed while Garath McCleary fired over the bar after Woodman had spilled a low cross.
The Chairboys, leading scorers in League One with 55 goals in 29 games, began brightly and almost broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes when Onyedinma lost his marker but planted a header wide from Luke Leahy's cross.
At the other end Norris blocked Osmajic's scuffed close-range effort after a cute Duane Holmes ball over the top, with Greenwood unable to capitalise on the rebound.
Fit-again Dan Harvie tested Woodman from distance before, just after the half-hour, Osmajic played a neat one-two with Holmes but saw his strike saved by Norris, with Ali McCann's follow-up hooked off the line by Harvie.
After the turnaround Stefan Thordarson tested Norris from 35 yards before Woodman palmed away a curling 20-yard effort from Harvie at the other end.
Moments later Woodman spilled Onyedinma's cross from the byline, only for the unmarked McCleary to side-foot over the bar from 10 yards out after being teed-up by Beryly Lubala.
McCann fizzed a shot past the base of the post from the edge of the box after a Jayden Meghoma cross was only half-cleared before new Wanderers boss Mike Dodds rang the changes with Reach making his debut off the bench, his first appearance since last-season's Championship play-offs.
Preston substitute Kaine Kesler-Hayden's attempted pass to Liam Lindsay bounced off his team-mate's chest and presented a chance to Lubala, whose powerful low shot was straight at Woodman.
Wanderers grew in stature in the closing stages and in the final 20 minutes McCleary's cut-back found Reach in the box but he could not get a shot away and the ball eventually was worked to Onyedinma who drilled off-target.
Holmes lashed just past the post after a loose clearance from Norris under pressure from Mads Frokjaer on 84 minutes but in stoppage time Norris redeemed himself by brilliantly tipping Greenwood's vicious dipping strike from 20 yards over his crossbar.
Greenwood came even closer with a curling left-footed cross in the dying seconds which beat the slide of Osmajic before clipping the outside of the post.
In extra time the visitors appeared to tire and McCann glanced a header wide from Greenwood's cross and Norris stopped another long-range strike from Greenwood, who was also thwarted by a Sonny Bradley block.
After the change of ends Osmajic got in Ryan Ledson's way as they tried to meet a deep Greenwood cross but the tie was settled by spot kicks.
Preston stunned Premier League Fulham winning 16-15 on penalties in the longest shootout in EFL Cup history in September, but this one only needed eight penalties rather than 34.
Greenwood and Osmajic beat Norris into the corner, and though Lubala sent Woodman the wrong way, the keeper denied Udoh to give them the advantage.
Frokjaer found the corner to make it 3-1 before Woodman saved from Reach and though McCann blazed over the bar and Josh Scowen reduced the deficit, Evans kept his cool to clinch it.
'They are really awkward to play against' - Heckingbottom
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I'm delighted to be in round five. Wycombe didn't disappoint us at all. We knew exactly what we were going to face. They are really awkward to play against, a really effective team.
"The fact we didn't take one of those chances early on makes it a tough game. It becomes more of a war of attrition, we had to really battle and fight, it shows how much we want to progress in this competition.
"I'm pleased to get through. You can get frustrated and play into the hands of the opposition and their style. Their best two moments came from corners, we had to change our marking because of that."
Wycombe boss Mike Dodds told BBC 3CR: "I felt they emptied the tank. To a man they were excellent, I couldn't have asked for more. They stuck to the script in terms of what we asked of them.
"We have to give Preston credit, they are a well-established Championship team and are looking up in the Championship, not down.
"I learned a lot about the group, I learned they are going to do everything in the last 16 games to get us over the line (for promotion) – I could see and feel that. I'm disappointed for them because when you put 120 minutes in and perform the way we performed you want more, but it wasn't to be.
"I felt our chances were probably better than theirs. Theirs probably came from our mistakes. If we're a little bit more clinical in front of goal I think we win the game."
