Soccer
Bristol City inflict fourth straight league loss on Preston
Two late goals helped Bristol City secure back-to-back Championship wins as they saw off spirited Preston 3-1 at Deepdale.
Scott Twine had tapped City into a fourth-minute lead but the Lilywhites fought back strongly and Caleb Wiley slammed them level with a 51st-minute rocket.
Lisav Eissat’s looping 79th-minute header crushed North End hearts before Dom Ballard coolly bagged his second goal of the season, albeit less spectacularly than his stunner against Birmingham, to secure the victory seven minutes later.
The night started woefully for the hosts as Lorent Tolaj picked out Twine with an inviting centre and the ex-Burnley man gobbled up from close range with a first-time finish.
Despite the shocking start, North End should have levelled minutes later as Jusef Erabi failed to properly connect with Liam Lindsay’s inch-perfect delivery with the goal gaping.
The hosts continued to take the game to their opponents and went close twice in quick succession as Sam Tickle did well to turn Jordan Thompson’s free-kick over the bar before Delano Burgzorg beat the 24-year-old with a header across the goal from Harry Clarke’s cross, only to be denied by the foot of a post.
Those early chances seemed to wake the Robins up and former Preston loanee Sam Greenwood stung the palms of Daniel Iversen with a 25th-minute snapshot from the edge of the box having been teed up by Twine.
Nonetheless, an all-action Thompson was trying his best to drag his side level, thundering a 30-yard howitzer narrowly over the bar in the 35th minute while Greenwood again fired straight into Iversen’s hands.
Wind kept very much in the sails of Paul Heckingbottom’s men after the break and they could have scored twice before they did, Clarke heading Thompson’s corner wide from close range and then through Alfie Devine, who failed on several occasions to pull the trigger in the box before eventually being blocked by Tickle.
But that pressure eventually did pay dividends as Wiley caught everybody by surprise with a sensational drive from range that nestled into the corner.
Preston fans were even more buoyant on the 68th minute as a big screen announcement confirmed they had signed two new players on deadline day but that euphoria almost turned sour within a minute as Tolaj broke clear on goal, only for Iversen’s leg to keep out his effort.
Michael Skubala’s team were steadily growing back into the game and killed Preston off with two late sucker punches.
Eissat expertly looped Rio Cardines’ free-kick out of Iversen’s reach to put his team ahead and Ballard pounced on some suspect defending to round the goalkeeper and score a third, condemning Preston to a fourth straight loss.
