Preston North End verdict - Goals, sickness and a potential watershed moment for Tottenham Hotspur loanee

PNE were quickly behind in the game thanks to a good strike from Josh Sargent from the edge of the box but North End drew level before the break through a well taken header from Emil Riis.

The visitors got themselves into the lead in the second half, Riis at it again to turn home Alvaro Fernandez’s cross as the Spaniard had picked his man out perfectly.

The home side were not taking the comeback lying down and themselves found an equaliser, an intelligent run from Teemu Pukki allowed him to pick out the run from Gabriel Sara who placed the ball into the roof of Freddie Woodman’s net.

The pulsating, back and forth game still had one twist in it as Troy Parrott, a half time replacement for Sean Maguire, tried his luck from a tight angle and thanks in part to a deflection, caught Tim Krul out at his near post.

As if that wasn’t enough from the game, Parrott unfortunately pulled up immediately after netting his first league goal for PNE, seeming having injured his hamstring.

It was a much needed win for PNE but more so in the goals they scored rather than the points they picked up.

Having scored four goals all season they nearly doubled their tally in one game at Carrow Road.

It was certainly the monkey on the back of North End, it was the go-to question to boss Lowe and also the stick used to beat his side with.

By no means are their problems solved, that remains to be seen and hopefully netting against Bristol City and Stoke City after them truly puts the matter to bed, but it shows what we all thought, and hoped.

Chances have not been hard to come by but they have not been taken. Now it should be clear that North End have goals in them.

Riis has three in two games and speaking post match feels as though he is back. Sean Maguire played the first 45 and looked very bright, he linked things well and was sharp.

Parrott may be facing a spell on the sidelines but getting off the mark will no doubt bolster his confidence. It was a heartbreaking moment when PNE's no.15 was trudging off, supported by the physio and covering his face with his shirt. It could have been an outpouring of emotion for the 20-year-old who will have so desperately wanted to get his loan at North End off on the right foot and scoring goals.

So far it has not panned out that way and there is still time of course but he will have been dreaming of this watershed moment, all the clips and re-runs of his chances that he had watched time and time again as he and Ryan Lowe tried to get to the bottom of his drought. On Saturday, he did it. He found the net. It was something out of nothing, what PNE had been crying out for. It was the moment that won the match, and then the bump down to Earth as he inevitably felt the problem he picked up in his hamstring.

For such a young man, back again in the Championship after one failed attempt it will be a tough one to take, but mental fortitude will come easily to a Tottenham Hotspur player that was willing to leave his homeland at 15. With a league goal to his name, whenever he is back he will hopefully return firing.

Riis with a double against the Canaries and the winner against West Brom spoke post match with his chest out again, happy and oozing with a quiet confidence that carried him on the crest of a wave throughout last season. Again, hopefully that is him back firing.

PNE did not start the game well, they were second to most balls, sloppy with their first touch and seemed a yard or two off the pace.

That gave the home side all they needed to get the opening goals and give North End the task of overturning the deficit.

Lowe opted not to change his side, who did seem to tire against the Baggies, and going behind quickly meant questions would asked on that deicision.

However, the Lilywhites being off the pace early doors is more down to a sickness bug plagueing the camp. About half a dozen players were taken ill, Brad Potts throwing up on the pitch pre-game and withdrawn from the bench. Ali McCann followed suit though his redecorating of the Carrow Road turf came mid-match and he carried on.

It adds an even more impressive element to the nature of PNE’s win. Once the adrenaline kicked in for the struggling players, around 15 minutes in, and their bodies just accepted the fact this was happening, they really got a grip of the game.

They were more than worthy of their three points and helped make what was an fantastic came of football to watch. Both sides were open, playing out from the back and made it a real spectacle.

There were five goals in a breathless encounter in East Anglia but there should also have been a red card and the home side thought they had got themselves an equaliser only for skipper Grant Hanley to have lost his cool.

Sam Byram, who only played the first 45 minutes, was lucky to get that far as he went in studs up to block a clearance and collided instead with Alan Browne’s shin. It was a dangerous tackle that had VAR extended its reach to the Championship, would surely have seen the Canaries left back walking.

It was not the only controversy however as his replacement at full back, Kenny McLean, found the back of the net in the final minutes of the game. Unfortunately for him Hanley had come forward from centre half and decided to get involved with Jordan Storey, shoving PNE’s no.14 and seeing the effort ruled out.