REPORT: PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0, PRESTON NORTH END 1: Posh restored some pride, but the points slipped away again

One moment of quality from on-loan striker Cameron Archer 10 minutes from time settled the contest in Preston North End’s favour. Agonisingly Joe Ward had struck the crossbar with a 30-yard free kick just one minute earlier.

It was harsh on Posh who fought hard, defended well and created the better chances. There weren’t many, but Kwame Poku managed to bundle the ball over the bar from close range just moments after Ward had forced Preston ‘keeper Daniel Iversen into a fine save after a lovely piece of football with Jeando Fuchs.

It was a decent response to the shambles in South Wales in their previous outing.

Predictably Posh boss Darren Ferguson rang the changes, although unpredictably livewire loan signings Bali Mumba and Callum Morton were left on the substitutes’ bench.

In came Jonson Clarke-Harris, Ward, Nathan Thompson and Reece Brown. Jack Marriott and Ronnie Edwards were left out with the latter dropping out of the squad altogether. Edwards was injured.

Optimism was in short supply among home fans. Preston had lost one of their last 10 Championship matches, while Posh had won just one of their last 14. Remarkable then that survival was still in Posh hands.

It still is after defeats elsewhere for Reading and Derby.

Posh deployed a 4-2-1-3 formation with Ward and Kwame Poku either side of Clarke-Harris and dropping in when Preston had possession.

Ward was the first to threaten after using his pace to get past former Posh player Andrew Hughes, but his cross was slightly overhit.

Half chances became the norm in tricky conditions of a strong, swirling wind and a playing surface that was far from flat.

Hughes hit the top of the crossbar with a cross in the sixth minute, but the visitors had little tempo to their play and were constantly interrupted by Posh players snapping into tackles.

Daniel Johnson’s snapshot was well blocked by Josh Knight after the best Preston move in the 25th minute, but the rest of the promising moments belonged to Posh before the break.

Clarke-Harris, who was proving a handful for the visiting defence, could only poke straight at Iversen on the half hour from Brown’s cross, Ollie Norburn shot straight at Iversen when well placed 25 yards out, while Ward struck the crossbar from a precise Clarke-Harris pass, although from an on offside position.

Brown then shot narrowly wide from 20 yards with Iversen beaten.

The pattern of the second-half was similar. Both sides had spells of possession, but Posh had a purple patch just before the hour mark when Ward and Poku had their moments.

Preston squandered good opportunities with poor pieces of control. Substitute Ched Evans certainly made a difference to the visitors’ attack with his muscular presence.

But one long goalkick was seized on by Alan Browne who fed Archer. Frankie Kent stood off him and Archer, an Aston Villa player, took advantage to curl home from 18 yards.

Archer had been quiet, but he was on the ball when it mattered to continue an excellent run of personal form.

Posh didn’t fold and carved out one late opportunity when substitute Ricky-Jade Jones was freed down the left. His cross reached Clarke-Harris, but his first-time shot was well blocked.

The ball rebounded to safety. It was that sort of afternoon for Posh who were most unlucky losers.

Posh: Steven Benda, Hayden Coulson (sub Bali Mumba, 61 mins), Frankie Kent, Josh Knight, Nathan Thompson, Joe Ward, Reece Brown, Oliver Norburn, Jeando Fuchs (sub Jack Marriott, 81 mins), Kwame Poku (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 85 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris,

Unused substitutes: Dai Cornell, Sammie Szmodics, Jorge Grant, Callum Morton.

Preston: Daniel Iversen, Sepp van der Berg, Patrick Bauer, Andrew Hughes, Ben Whiteman (sub Ryan Ledson, 77 mins), Daniel Johnson, Alan Browne, Brad Potts, Josh Earl (sub Scott Sinclair, 69 mins), Emil Riis (sub Ched Evans, 62 mins), Cameron Archer.

Unused substitutes: Connor Ripley, Liam Lindsay, Alastair McCann, Joe Rafferty.

Goals: Preston - Archer (80 mins).

Cautions: Preston - Bauer (foul), Van Den Berg (delaying the restart).

Referee: Tim Robinson 7

Attendance: 9,072.