Preston's women earned a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle United yesterday but will feel it is another two points dropped after conceding in the dying stages for the second time in two weeks.
Newcastle took the lead in the 33rd minute after a good finish from midfielder Stacey Crooks, but North End replied just before half time after Sarah McCrea turned in Sarah Berry's cross.
Like last week, Preston took a 2-1 lead after Laura Walker scored her second goal in two games.
But it was déjà vu for Chris Stammers' side who conceded a goal in the last minute of play, this time to Magpies substitute Steph Eadon.
The home side had the first meaningful chances of the game with Rachel Furness having a couple of long rage efforts, with the first being blocked well by midfielder Chantelle O'Hara and the second being saved comfortably by PNE goalkeeper Emma Reader.
Just after the half an hour mark, North End began to pile the pressure on when McCrea had her strike well saved and then Ruth Suttcliffe prevented a dangerous through ball being threaded through to Hannah Bailey.
However in the 35th minute, Crooks beat the offside trap and saw her initial shot saved well by Reader but managed to latch onto the loose ball and guide her shot into the bottom corner and give her side a one goal lead.
Following this goal, North End stepped up a gear and Bailey saw a couple of efforts blocked by a stubborn Newcastle defence. But her side's persistence paid off just before half time when returning Captain Sarah Berry saw her cross turned in expertly by McCrea.
North End continued to probe United in the second half with goalscorer McCrea testing Laura Wareham in goal.
A key moment for the Lilywhites came in the 65th minute following the introduction of Sam Cadwallader. Ten minutes after her arrival, Cadwallader played an intelligent ball to Laura Walker who fired the away side into the lead.
This gave Stammers' side the platform to go on and record an impressive away victory but like last week, North End were just unable to see out their one goal lead.
In the last minute of play, substitute Eadon latched onto a well-weighted through pass and slotted the ball past Reader to deny the visitors all three points. North End left the field disappointed after conceding a late equaliser in consecutive weeks but can take heart from another impressive away draw.
Preston will be hoping to put their recent league form behind them when they take on Leyland in the Lancs Cup at 1pm at the Preston Sports Arena on Sunday.
Newcastle: Wareham, Sutcliffe, Furness, Ridley, Wilson, Taylor, O'Brien, Crooks, McCubbin, Morrison, Ord. Subs: Eadon, Coleman, Gardener, Pitt, Badger.
PNE: Reader, Walker M, Wooton, Blackett, Eastwood (Cafferkey, 75), Berry, O'Hara, Watson (Cadwallader, 65), Walker L, Craig (McCrea, 16), Bailey.
Photos by www.pne-invincibles.com
