Preston North End's Brad Potts scores There's something about midweek football under the Deepdale lights and Preston North End's home produced pure drama in the first league showdown with Southampton for 14 years. Until the 96th minute, it looked as though Ryan Lowe's men had come from behind to secure a memorable comeback win. The Lilywhites headed into the clash sitting above Russell Martin's men and yet North End will have been under no illusions as to the difficulty of Wednesday night's encounter.

October's daunting schedule just kept coming at Preston, who were looking to end their winless run of five games while the Saints were targeting a fourth victory in five matches. Everything pointed towards this being a night where North End would need to strike the balance between being aggressive and courageous, but disciplined and patient. Preston were going to need to make Deepdale a horrible place for Southampton to come, while using the home support as fuel.

North End, though, saw plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges. Chances were few and far between in the first half-an-hour but PNE - set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape - will have felt as though they shaded proceedings. Southampton had struggled to gain territory and build any pressure, but Kyle Walker-Peters - having spent the majority of the game defending Liam Millar - only needed one opportunity.

The full-back was shown inside on 33 minutes and broke the deadlock with a bending effort into the far corner - just out of Freddie Woodman's reach. PNE were visibly disheartened, but managed to pick themselves up before the interval. On the touchline, Lowe will have been wondering how his side were behind at half-time. Will Keane saw a low drive cannon just wide - via the hand of Walker-Peters - from point blank range. Preston were down but far from out at the break and North End's manager sent on Milutin Osmajic for the second half, in place of Mads Frokjaer.

It was under the irresistible Deepdale floodlights when the Montenegrin opened his account in Preston colours. Osmajic has had to bide his time somewhat since that evening against Birmingham City, but the start to the second half was all about one man. On 52 minutes, the number 28 watched the ball come down from the night sky and on to his right foot, before unleashing a ferocious low volley which soared into the back of Gavin Bazunu's net. Three minutes later, the Irishman was picking the ball out again and Deepdale boomed with noise.

Duane Holmes had been lively as ever and it was he who played the ball into Osmajic's feet, with it then clipped beautifully into the path of a galloping Brad Potts. Watching the number 44 tank forward in such fashion - with green grass ahead of him and opposition players being shrugged off with contempt - is a sight to really behold. Potts goals tend to be memorable, entertaining moments in time and this was another one of those - right in front of the Alan Kelly Town End - as he closed down on goal and slotted under Bazunu.

The game turned on its head in the space of 10 minutes, with no luck required for Ryan's boys. North End ran the hard yards for the remainder of the contest and Woodman was relatively untroubled for the majority of the second half. Preston had six additional minutes to see through but, with the points within touching distance, a Saints corner was forced home via several deflections - a cruel, 96th minute equaliser likely going down as a Potts own goal. PNE must take the positives - of which there were many - and go again in Hull on Saturday.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham, Potts, Whiteman, Browne (c), Millar, Holmes (Ledson 85'), Frokjaer (Osmajic 46'), Keane (Evans 71')

PNE unused subs: Cornell, Bauer, Best, Brady, Woodburn, Stewart

Attendance: 15,346 (1,581 away)