Ex-Owl Cresswell proves his point

Wednesday old boy Richard Cresswell scored a simple tap-in five minutes from time to deny his former club all three points in a pulsating encounter between the Owls and Preston North End at Deepdale. The game ended 2-2 and Terry Yorath's side extended their unbeaten run to four games, but were left to ponder what might have been after failing to bury the home side when 2-1 up earlier in the game.

Ricardo Fuller had set Preston on their way with a 13th minute strike, only for Shefki Kuqi to equalise in the 35th minute. It was the Finnish strikers fourth goal of the season, but he was later to be kicking himself for wasting good chances infront of goal.

Paul McLaren's 75th minute goal, his first for the season, had looked like being enough to seal Wednesday's first win at Deepdale in 42 years, but it wasn't to be.

This report from the Soccernet.com:

Draw specialists Preston North End shared the spoils again, with a late goal by Richard Cresswell against his old club saving them at Deepdale in a 2-2 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday. Preston have now drawn five out of their seven Nationwide Division One games.

They have not been beaten since the opening day of the season and they showed their determination to maintain that record after being pegged back by their visitors for long spells in the second half. Wednesday had been fortunate to go in at half-time on level terms after the Lilywhites dominated the first half.

Craig Brown's men started positively and Ricardo Fuller's goal after 12 minutes put them ahead. He had already given the Owls ample warning of the threat he posed before he finally scored. In the second minute, a Graham Alexander corner found the Jamaican, who sent a diving header just wide. Seven minutes later Fuller turned his marker and fired in a shot which Kevin Pressman in the Wednesday goal had to tip over his crossbar.

Then Fuller got his reward when his right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area was deflected past Pressman. Shefki Kuqi forced a save from Tepi Moilanen in the Preston goal in the 34th minute with a drilled right-footed shot from 20 yards.

But it was a prelude to his most significant contribution. He followed it up with the equaliser one minute later, firing home right-footed from a Gerald Sibon cross.

Half-time: Preston 1-1 Owls

At half-time Owls manager Terry Yorath decided to change things around by sending Alan Quinn on for Trond Soltvedt, while North End's Marlon Broomes replaced Robert Edwards. Wednesday's substitution was the more effective as Yorath's side started to take the game to Preston, with Quinn at the forefront.

Moilanen was the first of the two goalkeepers to be called into serious action. Kuqi fired in a cross that found Leon Knight, and his effort from six yards out was turned round the post by the Preston keeper. Then Quinn hit the woodwork for the visitors with a shot from 20 yards out. Kuqi had a chance for a second goal in the 66th minute, but his volley from close in missed the target.

Midfielder Paul McLaren did the job for him in the 76th minute, cracking in a right-footed shot from the right side of the box. Just as it looked as though Wednesday had turned it round, Cresswell collected Eric Skora's cross and stroked in from six yards for an 84th minute equaliser.