Football Dec 26, 2025

Preston North End 1-1 Norwich City: Will Keane nets in stoppage time to earn point for Lilywhites

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Preston North End 1-1 Norwich City: Will Keane nets in stoppage time to earn point for Lilywhites

Substitute Will Keane grabbed an equaliser six minutes into added time to earn Preston a 1-1 draw with Norwich at Deepdale.

The 32-year-old, who came off the bench late on for Lewis Dobbin, nodded North End level from close range after Jovon Makama thought he had won it for the visitors.

Makama latched on to Emiliano Marcondes' delicate clipped pass before slamming the ball past Daniel Iversen in the 84th minute.

While the draw made it one defeat in six for Norwich manager Philippe Clement, the last-gasp equaliser will have stung as he bids to lead the Canaries out of relegation trouble.

Preston started the game in aggressive fashion and Thierry Small warmed the palms of Vladan Kovacevic from just inside the box in the opening stages, having robbed Kellen Fisher of the ball.

Dobbin fired narrowly wide from 30 yards as Norwich again lost possession trying to play out from the back.

However, the visitors started to grow into the match and Pelle Mattsson had a couple of goal-bound shots blocked, up against a deep-lying Preston back three.

Makama, who was a handful all game as he deputised for the injured Josh Sargent, nearly poked the visitors ahead in the 25th minute, but he was denied by the foot of the onrushing Iversen.

Both teams were struggling to carve out clear openings, but Kovacevic was the marginally busier of the two keepers, dropping low to collect another angled Small strike from the edge of the area with half-time approaching.

Matt Smith had Preston's clearest opening just before the hour mark, latching on to Andrew Hughes' flicked header, but he could only nod into the hands of Kovacevic from six yards.

Defender Hughes nearly provided a moment of magic in the 68th minute, letting fly from all of 40 yards, but his effort had just a little too much elevation.

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom made a triple substitution shortly, with Mads Frokjaer, Ali McCann and Andrija Vukcevic thrown into the fray.

Tony Springett, a first-half substitute for the injured Forson Amankwah, forced Iversen into an awkward block with a fizzing cross in the latter stages, with both teams sensing a breakthrough.

It looked to be heading for a stalemate until the lively Makama took matters into his own hands, rolling Hughes before rifling past Iversen from the centre of the box.

But Preston threw players forward and Keane managed to head a dramatic equaliser into the corner from the edge of the six-yard box to send the home fans wild.

Preston assistant manager Stuart McCall:

"Naturally, they're feeling very good, especially the lads who were involved in the goal. Both Will (Keane) and (Brad Potts) have been out for a long, long time so I'm absolutely delighted for both of them.

"In fact, it was the three subs that combined - (Andrija Vukcevic's) crossed it, Pottsy won a great header and Keano being in the box. There's no pace on the cross, it's a really good header, kind of looping at the goal, and it's a great finish. Naturally, it's a good feeling."

Norwich's Philippe Clement:

"I think it's the cruellest scenario you can have in football - to lose points, not in the dying minutes, but in the dying seconds of the game. The last seconds really. Of course it's a hard one to take because the team put in a good performance today.

"I think the result after this game is a deserved result - both teams deserved this point - but if you're leading them at the end of the game and you score a good goal (it's tough)."

Tags:

football report

Share this article

Related Posts

Scottish football VAR Review: Scottish Premiership, League Cup, Scottish Cup decisions analysed

Scottish football VAR Review: Scottish Premiership, League Cup, Scottish Cup decisions analysed

Amorim: Mainoo is the future of Man UtdRuben Amorim believes Kobbie Mainoo is the future of Manchester United despite the speculation surrounding the...

Wolves 0-2 Brentford: Keane Lewis-Potter scores twice as Bees make it 10 defeats in a row for woeful Wolves

Wolves 0-2 Brentford: Keane Lewis-Potter scores twice as Bees make it 10 defeats in a row for woeful Wolves

Keane Lewis-Potter scored twice in the second half to earn Brentford a 2-0 win over a Wolves side still waiting for their first victory of the campaig...

Man City 3-0 West Ham: Erling Haaland shows class as Hammers troubles worsen following 10th Premier League defeat

Man City 3-0 West Ham: Erling Haaland shows class as Hammers troubles worsen following 10th Premier League defeat

Manchester City cruised to a simple 3-0 victory over struggling West Ham to pile more misery on Nuno Espirito Santo, with his side now guaranteed to s...

Bournemouth 1-1 Burnley: Armando Broja cancels out Antoine Semenyo's strike to see Premier League points shared

Bournemouth 1-1 Burnley: Armando Broja cancels out Antoine Semenyo's strike to see Premier League points shared

Bournemouth were denied their first Premier League win since October as Armando Broja's late goal snatched a 1-1 draw for Burnley.It could prove to be...

Southampton 1-1 Coventry City: Nathan Wood earns point for Saints against 10-player Sky Blues

Southampton 1-1 Coventry City: Nathan Wood earns point for Saints against 10-player Sky Blues

Championship table-toppers Coventry shrugged off an illness crisis and a half with 10 men to secure a 1-1 draw with Southampton.Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and...

Brighton 0-0 Sunderland: Mackems show no sign of AFCON issues with gritty draw

Brighton 0-0 Sunderland: Mackems show no sign of AFCON issues with gritty draw

Sunderland more than coped without their AFCON stars as they held Brighton to a gritty 0-0 draw at the Amex. In what was the first Premier League meet...