Source: PA
Irvine grabs point on Deepdale return
Alan Irvine returned to Deepdale to make a point - and he did just that as Sheffield Wednesday conjured a stirring second-half fightback to deny Preston victory in a 2-2 draw.
Billy Jones' low 29th minute shot was blocked by Wednesday skipper Darren Purse but Neil Mellor gave the hosts the lead as he tucked away the rebound with a low right-foot shot.
Preston struck again in the 53rd minute when Paul Coutts engineered space inside Wednesday's 18-yard box and squeezed a low right-foot shot past Lee Grant from an acute angle.
The goal seemed to jolt Wednesday into life and four minutes later they were off the mark when Andy Lonergan inexplicably allowed Tommy Miller's 30-yard piledriver to slip into the net.
The Owls continued to pour forward and were rewarded on the hour when Marcus Tudgay took advantage of another defensive slip in the home ranks and clipped a delightful finish over the advancing Lonergan and into the net.
Wednesday, roared on by a sizeable contingent of travelling fans, looked the more likely victors as the game wore on. Lonergan produced fine saves to deny substitute Leon Clarke twice in quick succession in the closing stages as Irvine was forced to settle for a point.
