Preston North End's ten men battled to a creditable 1-1 draw against Roy Keane's Ipswich Town at Portman Road, but they were left with a feeling of what could have been.

The Lilywhites were in cruise-control five minutes before the break, a goal up and coping quite comfortably with any potential Ipswich threat. But a penalty and a subsequent red card changed the face of the game and meant the Lilywhites were on the back-foot when in all honesty they should have been looking for their fourth win at Portman Road in five years.

Ross Wallace opened the scoring with a good finish from the right in the 13th minute as Preston dominated the early proceedings. However just before half time captain Callum Davidson was sent off for handball and Jon Walters slotted home the rebound to salvage a point for Ipswich after Andy Lonergan saved his penalty.

Alan Irvine made five changes to the side that triumphed over Leicester City in the 2nd round of the League Cup on Tuesday night. Captain Callum Davidson, Ross Wallace, Richard Chaplow, Billy Jones, and Jon Parkin all made the starting line up as Preston looked to extend their impressive unbeaten start to seven games.

The home side, captained by Alex Bruce, were still searching for their first league win of the new campaign. The manager, Roy Keane, had chosen to stick with the same front two of Counago and Priskin who played in the 2-1 League Cup defeat at the hands of Peterborough United in midweek. Gareth McAuley returned to the side for the match and Bruce moved to right-back. Tommy smith, Liam Trotter, and Jon Walters also came in for starts.

The match was only three minutes old when it saw its first chance. "The Beast" Jon Parkin latched onto a Billy Jones long ball over the top which was misjudged by Ipswich defender Pim Balkestein. With Parkin through on goal, Richard Wright did brilliantly to deny him the opener, saving Parkin's shot with his legs.

The home side were lucky not to be one down, and it seemed to have put the fear of Roy Keane into them, as good work from Counago up front nearly created an opening a minute later, were it not for resolute defending from Chaplow and St Ledger in the PNE defence eventually getting the ball clear.

It was Preston's hunger to win back the ball that brought about the opening goal in the 13th minute, courtesy of winger Ross Wallace. Veliche Shumulikoski on returning to his former club sent an accurate cross-field ball to Wallace, who did well to control it on the left. With a drop of the shoulder he cut inside Alex Bruce at right back and sent a shot hard and low to Richard Wright's left for 1-0.

The main threat from the home side appeared to be coming from Martin and Priskin, both showing some good skill in the 18th minute, but it was Chaplow who managed to combine well with the defence and clear the danger to leave Ipswich looking frustrated again.

Both Parkin and Parry efforts blocked as the half approached the midway point and Preston tried to press home their advantage. The tricky Lee Martin, who had momentarily popped up on the right wing did his best to drag the home back to level terms in the 25th minute though, a neat turn in the box allowing him a shot that was also well blocked by the Lilywhites defensive line.

The 31st minute was the first time Lonergan was really called into action, tipping over Tomas Priskin's header as it looked to be looping over from Jon Walters's right foot cross.
Danger was only around the corner though, captain Alex Bruce looping another dangerous ball into the Preston box which fell to the feet of Lee Martin in the 33rd minute. Fortunately for the PNE fans the angle was too right and he couldn't get his shot away and the danger was once again cleared.

Ipswich's best two chances then arrived within a minute of each other. The first fell to former PNE loan signing Tamas Priskin, who had his from three yard shot blocked brilliantly on the line by Richard Chaplow on 40 minutes. Moments later it was Jon Walters' turn. The winger cut in onto his left but shot wide of Lonergan's left hand post and the score remained 1-0, much to the aguish of the home support.

The anguish soon turned to joy in the 44th minute as the game took a dramatic twist. A Jack Colback cross from the right caused confusion in the PNE box and the balled fell to the feet of Walters six yards out who smashed it against a host of Preston defenders. The referee initially waved play on but then pointed to the spot, and after consulting the assistant referee sent off Preston captain Callum Davidson for handball on the line.

Jon Walters was the man who stepped up to take the spot kick, however his shot to Lonergan's bottom right corner was well saved by the Preston keeper. However he was helpless to prevent Walters putting away the rebound send the teams in level at half time, albeit with Preston missing their captain.

The second half began with Eddie Nolan coming on the play at left back in place of Jon Parkin. This meant that top scorer Chris Brown was playing as a lone striker, whilst Ipswich were unchanged for the second half.

Unsurprisingly it was Ipswich who were looking make the most of their one man advantage early in the second half. In the 52nd minute Gareth McAuley fired a head at the Preston goal which Lonergan did fantastically to save.

From that move however ten man Preston caught Ipswich on the break. Chaplow bursting down the right wing and squaring to Wallace 20 yards out. The flame haired Jack Colback managed to get a toe on the ball though, and almost fired it past his own keeper as Preston won the corner from which Billy Jones sparked a flurry of shot in the Ipswich box, but none were converted.

Despite the pressure from PNE, it was Ipswich who still looked the more dangerous with the extra man, so Alan Irvine made a change in the 58th minute, bringing on Chris Sedgwick for Paul Parry on the right side of midfield.

Sedgwick was in the box along with the big men from the back when Chris Brown headed a Ross Wallace free kick just wide in the 60th minute.

Preston definitely had all three points on their mind, and after that chance Roy Keane saw fit to make a change, and a big change it was. Alan Quinn, Jon Stead, and 16 year old Connor Wickham all came on for Priskin, Counago, and Martin with just under 30 minutes remaining in the match.

The extra man and substitutions could not prevent Ross Wallace from finding himself in acres of space on the right wing in the 65th minute though. He chipped in a right footed ball for Chris Brown, but the big man was surrounded in the box and Ipswich managed to clear the danger just in time.

Preston were doing very well to contest the game with ten men, but it looked to be all in vein in the 74th minute of the match. Goal scorer Jon Walters threaded a ball through to substitute Jon Stead, who cut back onto his right well before lashing his shot against Chilvers and the danger was averted.

Many of the Ipswich attacks were resulting in corners, most of which were collected well by Lonergan. PNE had the keeper to thank in the 75th minute again, as he rushed out to the feet of Jon Stead, saving at the striker's feet to keep the Lilywhites in it.

Meanwhile at the other end Preston nearly capitalised. Chaplow intercepted a ball on the right, his cross eventually found the energetic Wallace whose volley was unlucky to be deflected wide into the side netting in the 77th minute.

Ipswich it seemed, were their own worst enemy up front. In the 79th minute Jon Stead found Alan Quinn with a nice ball on the left, however Quinn missed the ball forcing him wide of the goal. He salvaged the attack with a pass to Tommy Smith, but his control let him down too as he fouled Chris Sedgwick trying to retrieve the ball.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, Preston manager Alan Irvine saw fit to use his last substitution, replacing Sean St Ledger with Michael Hart who went to right back and Billy Jones moved into the middle.

The Lilywhites still desperately wanted the victory, and in the 85th minute they won a corner following good work from Sedgwick and Hart on the right wing. Wallace's corner was pulled back to Chaplow 30 yards out. Unfortunately he hadn't got his shooting boots on and his shot went over Richard Wright's goal.

Whilst Ipswich did seem to have the kitchen sink out ready, they couldn't quite seem to throw it hard enough as the struggled to manufacture a meaningful chance in the closing moments of the game. The crowd sensed a big finale on the cards too as a McAuley header just over the crossbar was followed by the announcement of five minutes added time.

The crowd's roar became more and more subdued as Preston's defence, even when missing the captain, proved too stubborn to break down for the Ipswich Town strikers.

The result means Preston remain unbeaten this season, and leaves Ipswich without a win.

After a good start to the game, Preston North End fans will be happy to come away from Portman Road with a draw after playing the entire second half with 10 men. There were moments in the second half where PNE could have won it, but considering the circumstances, it was a good team performance from the Lilywhites against Roy Keane's Ipswich.