Norwich City 0-1 Preston match report, player ratings

The Canaries had been given a golden chance to get back to winning ways against the mid-table outfit, dropping points again just as momentum had appeared to be building.

In theory Saturday's 1-1 draw with Derby should have warded off the threat of complacency, but within five minutes a catalogue of errors had handed the visitors the lead.

First Borja Sainz failed to control Callum Doyle's pass, then the Manchester City loanee was unable to halt Mads Frokjaer despite he and Jacob Wright's status as significant favourites for the ball. Milutin Osmajic was the benefactor, tapping Frokjaer's tee-up home with ease.

When the Lilywhites took an early lead in the reverse fixture it was doubled by the 12th minute, but City responded better to going behind than on that occasion. Sainz threatened to get on the scoresheet early in his return to the line-up, dragging wide after Anis Ben Slimane fired into him on the edge of the box.

But Duane Holmes' subsequent injury, eventually requiring a stretcher, took the sting out of the game, and it was Preston who threatened next. Frokjaer was pulling the strings and chipped over to Ryan Ledson 15 yards out, but he fired his volley just past the post.

It took another seven minutes after that for Norwich to really wake up, moving the ball at pace and in dangerous areas for the first time. Sainz was inches away from slotting Sargent through on goal, and the same was true of Doyle when he looked for Oscar Schwartau.

Eventually the opening did come, the hosts keeping possession impressively on the edge of the area before Lewis Dobbin found Slimane. He shimmied free superbly, but struck straight at North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman. Shane Duffy was next to have a go, sending his diving header wide from a corner.

Osmajic should have made him regret it on the brink of half-time, moving free of the Irishman well but somehow miskicking when Kaine Kesler-Hayden cut back for him 15 yards out.

There was a mildly rousing effort from Dobbin in the sixth minute of added time, but the general feeling going into the break was one of frustration.

Similarly to in that Derby tie, City looked like a team in need of a stern talking to from head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup. Early sighters for Sargent and Slimane suggested they'd had one, and their pattern of dominance continued thereafter.

Preston got deeper and deeper, while Norwich's possession percentage increased. Converting it into clear-cut chances appeared to get harder though, and the likelihood of doing so decreased when Sargent was withdrawn for fitness reasons.

Instead Paul Heckingbottom's side went close, Frokjaer with yet another sublime pass to set Kessler-Hayden away. He latched on well, but dragged wide with only Angus Gunn to beat. City's rebuttal consisted of Duffy's header and Sainz's low shot, the former sent straight into the ground and the latter blocked.

Norwich were again fortunate to avoid a deciding goal when substitute Liam Lindsay headed wide despite getting to a corner ahead of Gunn, before Matej Jurasek's debut cameo hit its high point when he flashed a ball across the six-yard box with no takers. Sainz then aimed for the top corner, curling just wide via a deflection.

From there the game petered out, the home fans disappointed once again as their side failed to make the most of another big chance to make a statement in the Championship play-off race.

The games come thick and fast in the second division and they travel to Hull this weekend looking to make amends, but confidence won't be high after a disastrous few days in NR1.

Substitutes:

12. Long (GK)

3. Stacey

10. Jurasek (on for Slimane, 71)

14. Chrisene

15. McConville

17. Crnac (on for Sargent, 60)

19. Sorensen (on for Wright, 60)

26. Nunez (on for Schwartau, 60)

33. Cordoba (on for Mahovo, 82)

Head Coach: Johannes Hoff Thorup

Bookings: Crnac (65), Sainz (90+5)

Substitutes:

13. Cornell (GK)

6. Lindsay (on for Porteous, 73)

7. Keane

12. Evans (on for Osmajic, 88)

20. Greenwood (on for Ledson, 73)

24. Rodriguez-Gentile

26. Bauer

32. Pasiek

44. Potts (on for Holmes, 22)

Manager: Paul Heckinbottom

Bookings: Ledson (64), Woodman (80), Hughes (89)

Goals: Osmajic (5)

KEY MOMENTS

5 - GOAL PRESTON (Osmajic): Sainz is dispossesed in the Norwich half and Frokaer somehow beats Doyle and Wright before teeing Osmajic up for a simple finish.

13 - Slimane fires into Sainz on the edge of the box and he drags well wide.

30 - Frokjaer picks out Ledson at the back post, but he sends his volley just past the post.

41 - Sargent and Sainz trade passes before Dobbin lays off for Slimane, who shimmies free driving low and straight at Woodman.

45+3 - Kesler-Hayden races to the byline and cuts back for Osmajic, who totally miskicks from 15 yards.

Half time: Norwich City 0-1 Preston North End

47 - Sainz inadvertently blocks Sargent's shot but it falls for Slimane, who drives well over.

70 - Frokjaer chips in behind for Kessler-Hayden, who controls well but drags wide of the far post.

74 - Nunez's corner finds Duffy at the back post and he heads into the ground.

75 - Sorensen flicks into Sainz's path and the Spaniard's shot is blocked.

82 - Lindsay gets to a corner before Gunn and should score but heads wide.

Full time: Norwich City 0-1 Preston North End

PLAYER RATINGS

Gunn 5, Fisher 7, Duffy 5, Doyle 5, Mahovo 6, Wright 4, Slimane 6, Schwartau 6, Dobbin 6, Sainz 6, Sargent 6. Subs: Nunez 5, Sorensen 6, Crnac 5, Jurasek 6, Cordoba 5.

MATCH STATISTICS

Possession: 59pc-41pc

Shots: 10-8

On target: 1-1

Corners: 8-3

Fouls: 14-11

Added time: 7 mins/5 mins

Attendance: 25,910 (211 away)

Referee: Gavin Ward