A Callum Davidson penalty was enough to earn a share spoils for Darren Ferguson's Lilywhites at an atmosphere-free Ricoh Arena.

The Preston skipper slammed home from the spot on 37 minutes after Jon Parkin had been sent tumbling in the box. Davidson's goal cancelled out an earlier Freddie Eastwood effort, a goal which had come against the run of play.

Preston boss Darren Ferguson made two changes to the side which had won at home to Scunthorpe a week earlier. Liam Chilvers stepped in for the ineligable Elliott Ward whilst Ross Wallace came in following Adam Barton's absence. Wallace's inclusion allowed Keith Treacy to switch to a more central attacking role.

There was also positive news on the bench with two youngsters given a chance, midfielder George Miller and Australian centre-half Bailey Wright.

North End started the match with attacking intent from the off, Ross Wallace getting clear down the left on a couple of occasions in the opening moments but it wasn't until the fourth minute of the match that a real chance arrived. It came from the left Wallace squaring a ball to the back post and the ball seemed to take an age to arrive on the lush turf, Mayor was waiting at the back post but Martin Cranie was in the right place place at the right time to get a blocking challenge on Mayor to send the ball out for a corner.

Preston had another chance immediately from the corner, the ball was hit deep into the box by Coutts, Parkin headed the ball into the six-yard box and Danny Mayor had a chance to turn the ball home but he could not direct it towards goal, instead sending it square.

Coventry hit back with a chance of their own moments later when McIndoe got a yard or two of space on the left flank and he drilled a shot across the face of goal, it looked to be going wide but Lonergan stuck out a hand just to make sure.

North End brought a good save from Keiran Westwood on 17 minutes. Parkin playing the ball into the path of Treacy on the edge of the box, Treacy cut inside his marker onto his favoured left foot and hit a low shot towards goal that the Coventry stopper did well to parry away.

The Sky Blues went ahead in the 18th minute of the match. It came from a counter-attack, David Bell breaking down the right channel with a real cavalry charge of Coventry players storming into the box to assist him. The ball came all the way across to McIndoe who played a simple ball to the unmarked Freddie Eastwood who cut inside his marker and slammed the ball low past Lonergan.

The goal gave Chris Coleman's side a boost in confidence and they were just a final ball short of finding the right man.

Meanwhile at the other end of the pitch Preston created another good chance, a set-piece from a free-kick on the right. Wallace whipped the ball towards the near post and Parkin made the run early to get there first and he swung a boot at the ball but just didn't get the intended connection, Westwood turning the ball behind with his feet.

Danny Mayor was at his best on the half hour mark when he twisted beyond one man, nutmegged the second and then delivered an unplayable delivery from the right flank which was begging to be knocked home. It was left to Richard Wood to spoon the ball over his own crossbar away for a corner.

That corner produced a chance, Parkin nodding the ball back across goal into the path of Liam Chilvers who volleyed towards goal but it just cleared the crossbar.

A Wallace free-kick caused all sorts of problems on 34 minutes. It was hit from 30-yards out and bounced just in front of keeper Keiran Westwood. Westwood could only parry it into the path of Treacy and he knocked a ball back across the face of goal. Leon Barnett forced to turn the ball away for yet another corner-kick.

It was from that corner which Preston were awarded the penalty. Parkin chased the ball which was knocked long and over the crowd of players in the box. He took on his markers and burst into the box, Aron Gunnarsson sticking out a leg which Parkin obligingly agreed to tumble over. Callum Davidson stepped up to slam the ball underneath the keeper, straight down the middle.

Clinton Morrison has been a thorn in the side of the Lilywhites for many a year now and he almost grabbed yet another, bringing a long hopeful ball down on his chest with his back to goal, he spun and half hit a shot which Lonergan did well to prevent finding the target.

Jon Parkin was unfortunate not to get on the score sheet three minutes before the break when he brought a ball down from out of the heavens and took a swipe at goal from the edge of the box, all in one movement. It was a fine effort but one which just cleared the angle of crossbar and post.

Andy Lonergan was at his bravest as the game entered first half stoppage time. A ball from the right was sent into the mixer and the ball landed at the feet of McIndoe, but Lonergan was quickly off his line to grab the ball off the feet of the Coventry winger.

The second half got underway with an absolute thunderbolt of a shot from skipper Callum Davidson. The North End full-back won the ball in the middle of the park and with no real challenge he decided to let rip and hit a right-footed shot from all of 30-yards and Westwood was nowhere near it as it flew a yard or so wide of the post.