Match ends, Preston North End 0, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Charlie Austin's controversial 90th-minute penalty sent West Bromwich Albion back to the top of the Championship as they snatched a last-gasp victory at Preston.
Preston were adamant keeper Declan Rudd had not touched Baggies substitute Kyle Edwards but referee Oliver Langford pointed to the spot and Austin slotted home to send Albion two points above Leeds.
The spot-kick gave West Brom a fifth successive victory but they left it late at Deepdale as injury-hit Preston, without a host of players including their entire first-choice back line, looked set to earn a point.
Instead, Alex Neil's men saw their unbeaten home record ended and they remain sixth, just inside the play-off places but 11 points behind the table-topping Baggies.
Preston's depleted defence had performed well to limit West Brom, the Championship's top scorers and now unbeaten in nine matches, to efforts from distance for much of the game.
Rudd denied Nathan Ferguson and Matt Phillips from distance in a one-sided first half while Kyle Bartley spurned West Brom's only real clear-cut chance, side-footing a Phillips free-kick wide from close range.
North End, however, were not content to settle for a point and leading scorer Daniel Johnson's 20-yard strike forced a fine fingertip save from Baggies keeper Sam Johnstone after the break.
But as stoppage time approached, Edwards latched on to a hopeful ball over the top and went down in the area despite Rudd seeming to do his best to pull out of the challenge.
Austin coolly stroked home the penalty - his third goal in as many games - to condemn Preston to a third-straight defeat after losses at Derby and Hull.
Albion, meanwhile, now boast the division's best away record with seven wins and just one defeat from 10 games as they became the first side to keep a clean sheet at Deepdale this season.
Preston boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"When it's a last-minute goal you concede, it certainly makes it worse that it's a really contentious decision as well. If it was a little bit of quality from them, it would be more palatable.
"It certainly wasn't a vintage performance from us but we set up in a manner that I felt gave us the best chance of getting a win or getting something from the game, because we had so many players missing.
"I thought we were really comfortable in the second half, I don't think they had a shot on target but then the penalty decision swings the game.
"It doesn't look like a penalty to me. For how hard they worked, and how little space and time they gave some really good players in Albion's team, I thought we deserved something from the match."
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic told BBC WM 95.6:
"In the first half we were very dominant, we just lacked quality in the final third and I told the guys just raise the tempo and be patient.
"In the second half Preston improved and had their moments but the game changed in the final 20 minutes and we camped in their half of the pitch, and if any team deserved to win it was us.
"You can't imagine how big a result this is for us because Preston is a very difficult place to come and play."
Line-ups
Preston
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Rudd
- 8Browne
- 23Huntington
- 14Storey
- 15Rafferty
- 4Pearson
- 11Johnson
- 29BarkhuizenSubstituted forNugentat 90+1'minutes
- 44PottsSubstituted forHarropat 88'minutes
- 24MaguireSubstituted forBodinat 90+1'minutes
- 20Stockley
Substitutes
- 7Bayliss
- 10Harrop
- 18Ledson
- 25Ripley
- 34Armer
- 35Nugent
- 39Bodin
West Brom
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Johnstone
- 36Ferguson
- 5Bartley
- 6AjayiBooked at 50mins
- 3Gibbs
- 19Sawyers
- 8Livermore
- 10PhillipsSubstituted forEdwardsat 61'minutes
- 12Costa Pereira
- 29DianganaSubstituted forAustinat 75'minutes
- 4Robson-KanuSubstituted forKrovinovicat 84'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Furlong
- 7Krovinovic
- 15Austin
- 18Barry
- 21Edwards
- 23Bond
- 26Hegazi
- Referee:
- Oliver Langford
- Attendance:
- 13,015
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home36%
- Away64%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away4
- Corners
- Home4
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Preston North End 0, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Substitution
Substitution, Preston North End. David Nugent replaces Tom Barkhuizen.
Substitution
Substitution, Preston North End. Billy Bodin replaces Sean Maguire.
Goal!
Goal! Preston North End 0, West Bromwich Albion 1. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Penalty West Bromwich Albion. Kyle Edwards draws a foul in the penalty area.
Post update
Penalty conceded by Declan Rudd (Preston North End) after a foul in the penalty area.
Substitution
Substitution, Preston North End. Josh Harrop replaces Brad Potts.
Post update
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Brad Potts.
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Filip Krovinovic replaces Hal Robson-Kanu.
Post update
Attempt missed. Matheus Pereira (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Romaine Sawyers.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jayden Stockley (Preston North End) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Johnson with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Kieran Gibbs.
Post update
Offside, Preston North End. Declan Rudd tries a through ball, but Jayden Stockley is caught offside.
Post update
Foul by Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion).
Post update
Daniel Johnson (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Charlie Austin replaces Grady Diangana.
Post update
Kyle Edwards (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End).
Post update
Foul by Romaine Sawyers (West Bromwich Albion).
Comments
Join the conversation
It wasn't a penalty. He was well on his way down before the (absolutely minimal self initiated) contact.
Cheating. Pure and simple.
I am so proud of my club, massive team spirit and integrity.
And if West Brom win promotion by a point or two, you would like to think they would slip a few hundred grand to referee Oliver Langford for allowing himself to be deceived.
How do some players not feel ashamed.
We teach kids to be honest so what do these individuals teach kids.
I hope he gets fined and banned
Nice to get one our way for a change.