The late goal show saves Norwich’s Carrow Road blushes once again

Late goals were a trademark feature of Norwich’s performances in their last Championship campaign and they relied on one again to earn a point against Preston North End.

Perhaps it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as Teemu Pukki’s 97th-minute winner against Millwall or Onel Hernandez’s 98th-minute equaliser against Nottingham Forest, but Przemysław Płacheta’s first goal for Norwich will still live long in the memories of the fans and the player himself.

Despite not being picked in the starting lineup, Płacheta announced himself to the Carrow Road faithful with an explosive equaliser in the 85th minute. Max Aarons was given an abundance of space to run down Preston’s left flank and deliver a cross into the penalty area. Cleared away by the Lilywhites’ defence, it fell to Płacheta just a few feet away from the goal. His first effort blocked, his second one volleyed into the back of the net, sending the 1,000 fans into raptures.

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As Norwich boss Daniel Farke made abundantly clear post-match, it was a game that the Canaries could have won. Preston’s opener came after the referee considered Oliver Skipp’s push on Ben Davies worthy of a penalty, which was confidently slotted home by Scott Sinclair after just 15 minutes.

Preston – organised and composed – pushed for a second goal. Alex Neil’s side looked sharp in possession and dangerous going forward, but they lacked a clinical edge. Of course, it wouldn’t be long before Norwich grew into the game.

Farke’s side aren’t known for their fast starts, but a turn in pressure eventually came after half an hour. A succession of free-kicks and corners were cleared away by Preston until the ball ended up at the feet of Xavi Quintillà. The Spaniard pinged a perfectly weighted cross towards the head of Teemu Pukki, allowing the 2018/19 Championship top scorer to power the ball past the gloves of Declan Rudd.

This was arguably Quintillà’s best moment in front of the Carrow Road faithful. The Villarreal loanee has the unenviable task of replacing Jamal Lewis, who joined Newcastle this summer in a reported £15 million deal. His attacking prowess was clear for all to see, as he made darting runs down the left flank and delivered pinpoint crosses. His defensive performance, however, left a lot to be desired.

It was actually Norwich’s right flank that was carved open to give Preston a 2-1 lead. It took a brief lapse in the Canaries’ concentration for Ryan Ledson to carve open their defence and slot through Scott Sinclair. The former Celtic winger’s shot was blocked off the line by Ben Godfrey and into the path of Darnell Fisher, who slammed home from close range.

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The right-back was clearly ecstatic – it was his first goal for Preston in his three years at the club and only his second goal in his seven-year professional football career.

God only knows what Daniel Farke said in his half-time team talk that he didn’t say before the match, as Norwich always seem to come out like a completely different side. Having come out faster and much more determined, the Canaries carved open chances but lacked the finishing touch to get on level terms once again. This was epitomised when the ball came out to Płacheta, who could only steer his shot over the top of the open net.

The 22-year-old suddenly burst into life following his horrific miss, he only came on due to an injury to Kieran Dowell in the first half. He combined perfectly with Quintillà to terrorise the right side of Preston’s defence, before he finally volleyed home his first Norwich goal with five minutes to go.

Perhaps it was written in the stars, having never even meant to have been on the pitch in the first place, for Płacheta to score Norwich’s trademark last minute Championship goal. This is far from the same Norwich side that stormed their way to promotion two seasons ago, but they’ve shown glimpses of similar quality and character that got them to the top flight in such emphatic fashion.

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Despite the controversial penalty, Alex Neil can be aggrieved that his side didn’t pick up the three points. Preston looked organised and confident and shut out one of the best-attacking sides in the division for large parts of the game. Daniel Farke admitted after the match that he believes Preston will compete “at least for the playoffs” this season, and it’s hard to disagree based on their performance at Carrow Road.

The Lilywhites will face a visit from Premier League side Brighton on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, before returning to league action against Stoke at Deepdale on Saturday. Norwich, on the other hand, face a tough trip to Bournemouth next weekend, who were relegated from the Premier League alongside the Canaries last season.