TROY PARROTT’S 81ST-MINUTE penalty earned 10-man Preston an unlikely 1-1 draw against Sky Bet Championship play-off hopefuls Luton.
The visitors were in control for long periods against a Preston side low on confidence and on a run of five straight home defeats before Wednesday.
Preston’s task grew in size when Ben Whiteman was dismissed for a crude tackle on Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu five minutes after half-time.
Luton finally scored the goal to reflect their dominance when Carlton Morris met Amari’i Bell’s deep delivery to head home his 12th league goal of the campaign.
Jordan Clark shot narrowly wide as Luton sought to press home their man advantage, but Tom Lockyer was penalised for handling Parrott’s drive following a rare Preston advance.
And Parrott, on loan from Tottenham and starting a match for the first time since injuring himself in September, blasted high into the net from 12 yards.
Elsewhere tonight, Jayson Molumby scored off the bench in West Brom’s 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn.
Ben Brereton Diaz scored a late equaliser to cancel out Molumby’s opener as West Brom’s six-match winning home league run was ended by play-off rivals Blackburn.
Molumby came off the bench to nod his team in front in the 73rd minute and, although that looked to be enough for maximum points, Brereton Diaz converted a free-kick at the death to ensure Rovers left The Hawthorns with a point.
Middlesbrough came back from a goal down to win 3-1 at promotion rivals Sheffield United and reduce the gap between the two teams to seven points in the Championship.
Oli McBurnie gave second-placed United an early lead, but the visitors hit back to level through Chuba Akpom before Cameron Archer scored twice to give Michael Carrick’s side a fourth straight league win.
Matty Sorinola scored Swansea’s first and created their winner as they nervously overcame Mick McCarthy’s Blackpool.
Blackpool remain bottom of the table, but managed to level through Sonny Carey despite losing Charlie Patino to a second yellow card in the 57th minute.
Swansea move up to 12th – five points adrift of the play-offs – but they were clinging on at the end as Carey struck the post.
Above Blackpool, Ashley Fletcher secured a point for Wigan as Shaun Maloney’s impressive start as manager continued with a 1-1 at Bristol City.
The in-form hosts took a 36th-minute lead when centre-back Rob Atkinson got forward to powerfully head home a left-wing cross from midfielder Anis Mehmeti, making his first start since signing from Wycombe.
But Wigan hit back on 65 minutes, Fletcher finding himself unmarked in the centre of goal six yards out with time to control a Max Power cross from the right and slide his shot under the diving Irish goalkeeper Max O’Leary.
Finally, an evergreen Phil Jagielka marked his 600th league start with a goal as Stoke comfortably defeated Huddersfield.
The 40-year-old haunted his former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock, who is set to take over in the Terriers’ hotseat on Thursday upon his return to the country.
The visitors came close to a leveller before the interval when Tom Lees’ effort struck the crossbar, but Will Boyle’s second-half sending off disrupted their momentum.
Any chance of a comeback was distinguished when Jacob Brown doubled Stoke’s lead before substitute Lewis Baker added a late third from the penalty spot.
Huddersfield’s wait for a win in 2023 stretches to eight games ahead of 74-year-old Warnock’s return to the club.
Championship results
- Sheffield United 1-3 Middlesbrough
- West Brom 1-1 Blackburn
- Bristol City 1-1 Wigan
- Preston 1-1 Luton
- Stoke 3-0 Huddersfield
- Swansea 2-1 Blackpool
With reporting by Gavin Cooney
