REPORT: Middlesbrough 1 Preston North End 1

The Boro head coach, who demanded and predicted improvement in the wake of Saturday’s heavy defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, got to watch his much-changed starting line-up go close to defeating play-off occupying Preston North End.

But Middlesbrough were still left disappointed at a failure to improve on a slow start to the campaign which has left them sitting closer to the relegation zone than the top six having won just two of their opening ten matches.

There were chances at both ends but Middlesbrough, who let Preston pose more of a threat at the end of each half as the visitors looked to climb into the top two, couldn’t secure three points in front of a crowd of only 17,961 on Teesside.

That is the lowest of the season and the lowest since March 2015, and yet those who did choose to watch the action live could easily have watched a home win.

However, in the end despite creating a few good chances, Middlesbrough were indebted to an own goal from defender Darnell Fisher less than two minutes after Josh Harrop had tapped Preston in front five minutes before half-time.

History was on Middlesbrough’s side. Not since 1928 had Preston won two away games in a row against the Teessiders, nor had they recorded consecutive league wins over their North-East rivals since 1972. Those runs go on.

In-form North End, who were in with a chance of hitting top spot and are now seven unbeaten, must have fancied their chances this time, having seen Sheffield Wednesday leave with three points a few days earlier by scoring four times at the Riverside.

This was a different Middlesbrough line-up to that afternoon. Woodgate, who despite his managerial inexperience is still slightly older than Preston’s highly-rated Alex Neil, wielded the axe in a bid to get things going. Lewis Wing, Marc Bola, Ashley Fletcher and Marvin Johnson were all left out.

Those decisions, a couple of them sizeable, meant opportunities for Marcus Tavernier and Marcus Browne down the flanks, with an expectation to slot in and support lone striker Britt Assombalonga. Daniel Ayala was also back in defence, meaning a return to full-back for Ryan Shotton. Jonny Howson was recalled.

Woodgate’s bit of tinkering looked like it might have the desired effect too. Howson saw plenty of the ball, as did McNair alongside him. The frustration from the opening exchanges was they were wasteful in good positions.

The best chance of that period fell to Browne. The former West Ham man controlled a knock down from Assombalonga in the penalty area and with his second touch his low shot, struck with power, was prevented from hitting the net by goalkeeper Declan Rudd.

Moments after that Assombalonga found himself in a fantastic position to either test Rudd or roll a pass across goal. Instead, perhaps in a sign of an after-effect from two horrible misses at the weekend, he tried an unnecessary flick and the Preston defence intervened.

Preston didn’t pose much of a threat at the other end and when the yellow shirts did get into the final third they tended to be thwarted by the Middlesbrough backline, where Ayala linked well with Dael Fry in the main.

There was another first half effort too that stemmed from Shotton probing the visitors’ half. That run resulted in a pass to Tavernier, who drifted inside before firing a low drive from 22 yards wide of the goalkeeper’s left upright.

Middlesbrough were even closer to scoring soon after. A much-improved Anfernee Dijksteel’s marauding run down the right ended with McNair’s sending over a deep cross which hit the back post before hitting Assombalonga and then being cleared to safety.

All this was going on while Preston failed to make inroads on Darren Randolph’s goal, but there was an increase in pressure towards the end of the first half when Harrop and Sean Maguire began to develop greater influence.

When Harrop delivered a corner to the penalty spot, Browne’s header was destined for the top corner when Adam Clayton was alert to nod clear. That was the first danger sign and within seconds Preston went ahead.

Harrop was the scorer. He was quick to react in the six-yard box to turn in the loose ball after Browne’s deflected low drive, after some good work from Daniel Johnson, was hit the inside of the post before rolling across the area.

Frustrated home groans could be heard around the Riverside, but less than two minutes later the same fans celebrated an equaliser. McNair, often the team’s best player this season so far, burst to the line and his low centre towards Assombalonga was helped over the line by Fisher.

It provided the perfect response because Middlesbrough were stronger immediately after the restart too. Tavernier, on his first league start of the season, was quick to direct a low shot from distance that had to be gathered by Rudd and was.

There was a much better save required before the hour. Tavernier’s instinctive shot from a pass inside looked destined for the net but Rudd made a flying stop to keep things level.

Preston rarely got anywhere near Randolph’s goal, in a sign of slight improvement in the Middlesbrough defence from the weekend. There were still occasional scares, like when Johnson almost made Ayala and Shotton pay for allowing Tom Barkhuizen in down the right.

The main problem, though, was that Neil’s men were resilient themselves in blocking out the hosts. Patrick Bauer and Ben Davies, in particular, made sure they made plenty of telling blocks.

Woodgate threw on Ashley Fletcher and Marvin Johnson in a bid to sneak a winner. In the end the crucial second goal never arrived and now the hope will be for that Friday feeling to arrive at Birmingham under the lights.