An example of how cruel the game of football can be. Preston North End made the long journey to deepest darkest Norfolk, battled through wind, hail and snow to get there, put in 90 minutes of hard graft but on 91 minutes, the one moment of class in an otherwise dull game rendered PNE's efforts pointless.

Darel Russell was the man who broke the deadlock in stoppage time, a sweetly hit volley nestled in the bottom corner to delight the Canary fans and send PNE's vociferous faithful back up north to contemplate another week in the relegation zone.

North End boss Alan Irvine made three enforced changes to the side which had defeated West Brom, Youl Mawene, Chris Sedgwick and Chris Brown were all suspended, so in came Billy Jones, Lewis Neal and Neil Mellor. It was a tactical change that didn't look to have unbalanced the side too much and they looked to have snuffed out the best Glenn Roeder's side had to offer, they could have even nicked the game when Brett Ormerod's shot was saved in the closing moments of the game, but the ball was returned to the other end of the field soon after the Canaries soon chirped up.

Preston started brightly, a return to the clean crisp passing of recent weeks and they gave their hosts a scare or two in the opening minutes of the game, McKenna got space in the box after four minutes but as he cut inside the sliding challenge of Shackell the ball just escaped him, the moments later Hawley was afforded time and space in front of goal to let rip from 25-yards out, his shot had the power, but not the placement.

Preston North End were forced into a change in the 22nd minute when Callum Davidson hobbled off the pitch with what appeared to be a thigh injury. The Scottish full-back had gone down clutching his leg moments earlier but had not responded to treatment from the physio Steve Kemp. Fortunately North End were able to do a like-for-like substitution with Matt Hill coming on for some early action.

The first half was a scrappy affair though and after Davidson departed neither side managed to get a grip on the game, with the match turning into a bit of a midfield battle. PNE were given one opportunity eight minutes before the break when Canaries keeper David Marshall could only punch Simon Whaley's corner to the edge of the box, as ever Paul McKenna was lurking, but the midfield man sliced his shot high and wide.

Norwich's clearest opportunity of the opening 45 minutes came after Lee Croft had a handball appeal turned down when the ball smashed into Liam Chilvers' arm on the edge of the box, Croft recovered the ball from the rebound and floated a ball into the box that arrived at the penalty spot and Manchester City loanee Ched Evans probably had time and space to bring the ball down, but he opted to head the ball and it was easily dealt with by Andy Lonergan.

Norwich started the second half the brighter of the two sides as the floodlights came on to warm the chilly February air, Evans again was the Norwich threat, cutting in from the right and letting go with a left-footed drive that St. Ledger deflected away for a corner, from that corner the ball fell to Dion Dublin on the edge of the box and he took one touch before hitting a half-volley that had Lonergan scrambling across to his right, but it never looked like finding the target.

Darel Russell had more luck finding the target in the 50th minute of the game when he won the ball in the centre of the park and with no Preston man offering a challenge he decided to have a go at goal, it must have curved in the air as it looked to be straight at Lonergan but he had to save it with his legs.

The Canaries were certainly the chirpier of the two teams as the match entered its final 30 minutes and Glenn Roeder's side spurned a great opportunity when Croft got the better of McKenna on the right and goalside, he delivered a low ball into the six-yard box but Bertrand sliding in could only put the ball high and over the bar.

It was a frantic five minutes and the action didn't stop there as Preston created a decent opportunity of their own. McKenna released Lewis Neal on the left of the Norwich 18-yard box and and the former Stoke man, on his return to the side smashed a volley straight across goal, somehow it ended up back at the feet of McKenna on the other side of the box and his goalbound effort rather fortuitously smashed into the head of Shackell, the Norwich man knew little of his intervention.

PNE made their first tactical change of the afternoon on 69 minutes when Brett Ormerod came on for Neil Mellor who had put in a tireless display in attack and Ormerod was almost on the scoresheet within seconds of coming on. Lewis Neal again got space down the left flank and he chipped a ball to the back stick, Ormerod was lurking and Camara was forced into heading the ball behind for a corner.

Where North End's substitute had almost scored, Norwich followed suit. Jamie Cureton came on to add some experience to the Norwich strike-force at the expense of Evans and within seconds he brought out another point-blank save from Andy Lonergan, it was eight yards out was destined for the back of the net before Lonergan stuck out an arm to parry the ball away from goal.

Both teams made their third and final changes of the afternoon with ten minutes left on the clock. Chaplow came on for Lewis Neal for the Lilywhites, James Henry replacing Lee Croft for the Canaries.

Norwich were the home team and therefore the impetus was on Roeder's men to push for the winner and they almost got that on 85 minutes when Gary Doherty got his head to a Henry corner and the ball smashed against the crossbar, in all fairness it was always going over but just clipped the woodwork in passing.

As the Canaries pressed forward it was almost  Preston who grabbed the late winner. Paul McKenna played a delightful ball in behind the Norwich defence and having beaten the offside trap Ormerod was onto it like a shot. The Blackpool man knew that the angle was tight and he decided to try his luck with a shot when on hindsight a square ball to Richard Chaplow might have been the better option. It could have been a crucial moment.

The game was entering injury time when Darel Russell struck the fatal blow. Dion Dublin was allowed to go unchallenged as he flicked on a long David Marshall punt downfield, it landed at the feet of the dreadlocked midfielder and he spun and hit a volley that was perhaps the one real moment of class in the game, despite the valiant efforts of Lonergan it couldn't have been hit much better and it just found the inside of the post. North End's 90 minutes of hard graft was wiped out in an instant..