Harrison Armstrong came off the bench to salvage a point for Preston in a 1-1 draw with Wrexham at Deepdale.
The 18-year-old Everton loanee bagged his first goal of the season with a composed, close-range finish in the 81st minute, cancelling out Kieffer Moore’s fourth-minute opener.
It was just reward for Paul Heckingbottom’s men, who battled hard to ensure they avoided back-to-back home defeats, while Phil Parkinson’s side are now unbeaten in nine league matches.
Wrexham started with a bang as goalkeeper Daniel Iversen misjudged James McClean’s ball to the back post, allowing Moore to tap in for his 10th goal in all competitions.
Lewis Dobbin nearly restored parity for Preston after 15 minutes with a sensational weaving run which required a brave block from Dominic Hyam and Alfie Devine made Arthur Okonkwo work with a smart tip around the post.
Chances kept coming for the hosts as Pol Valentin skied from inside the box, latching onto Ben Whiteman’s direct ball, before McClean cleared Michael Smith’s swivelling shot off the line after Okonkwo made a meal of a ball into the box.
The 24-year-old stopper made amends at the end of the first half, though, pulling off an excellent double save to twice deny Thierry Small, who made a late run into the box to meet Valentin’s cross.
As the second half started, it was Iversen’s turn for an impressive double stop. First, he reacted well to parry Moore’s fierce angled shot before getting up to claw McClean’s header off the line.
Shortly after, Nathan Broadhurst nearly found the net with a rasping 25-yard drive after a smart turn in the centre of the pitch but the effort fizzed narrowly wide.
Preston roared back and Small came within inches of levelling affairs on the hour mark, striking across the goal and off the underside of the post from just inside the box.
Eight minutes later, at the other end, the lively McClean found George Thomason with a teasing cross but the midfielder glanced agonisingly wide of the far post with Iversen well beaten.
Wrexham needed more heroics from Okonkwo in the 72nd minute, clawing away Jordan Storey’s header as he rose to meet Whiteman’s corner, and the busy stopper did even better to tip Andrew Hughes’ header – also from a Whiteman delivery – around the post.
It looked like being one of those days until substitute Armstrong kept his cool at the far post to squeeze in an equaliser as Wrexham defenders buckled under the incessant pressure applied by the hosts.
Preston should have gone ahead just moments later as Storey was left unmarked on a second ball but ballooned his effort over the bar from six yards.
