Huddersfield claim dramatic late win over Preston with Collin Quaner goal
Collin Quaner scored a dramatic winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time to seal Huddersfield's 3-2 Sky Bet Championship victory over Preston.
The German striker pounced on the rebound, after Aaron Mooy's penalty had been saved, to end Preston's slim hopes of making the play-offs.
The result pushes the West Yorkshire team closer to a play-off place themselves - and keeps alive their outside hopes of claiming automatic promotion.
The contest looked set to end in a draw when there was confusion deep into added time.
Jordan Hugill, who had just made it 2-2, brought down Elias Kachunga but - amid furious protests - referee Lee Probert took an age to give the penalty.
Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell was booked for time-wasting before Mooy was finally able to take the spot-kick. Maxwell dived to his left to push away the effort - only for Quaner, an 86th minute substitute, to fire home the rebound.
Town, beaten in three of their previous four matches, had gone behind to Aiden McGeady's strike.
Kachunga equalised before half-time before Jack Payne put Town ahead in the 70th minute. Hugill made it 2-2, only for Quaner to win it.
Huddersfield started the game at a high tempo and almost took the lead in the third minute.
Chris Lowe's cross from the left was flicked on by Nahki Wells for Kachunga. The forward's shot deflected off a defender, forcing Maxwell into a superb reflex save.
Rajiv van La Parra then side-footed a finish at Maxwell before Preston suffered a major blow when skipper and centre-back Tom Clarke limped off injured.
Lowe's free-kick found Michael Hefele but the defender's header struck Kachunga.
Preston, having recovered from losing Clarke, went ahead in the 23rd minute after a breakaway move.
Paul Gallagher set up McGeady, who unleashed an unstoppable shot from 25 yards.
The home side were level two minutes before half-time when Kachunga rose to head home Mooy's deep corner at the back post.
Tensions threatened to boil over at the start of the second half with both Lowe and Ben Pearson booked after squaring up.
Hefele's header from a Mooy corner was blocked before Town deservedly went ahead in the 70th minute.
Wells sprayed the ball out to Tommy Smith deep on the right and the full-back's first time cross was deflected into the middle for Payne to score with an unmarked diving header from close range.
The lead lasted until the 79th minute when Daniel Johnson won the ball in the box and pulled it back to Tom Barkhuizen to cross for Hugill to rise highest and power home a header.
Two minutes later Hugill headed over but there was more drama to come as Quaner secured the points with his first league goal for the club.
Source: PA
