Preston North End were beaten late on at Deepdale by sixth-placed Norwich City in a tight affair.

In a crucial clash in the Play-Off race, the first half was exhilarating and saw chances created by both sides, with Jack Whatmough coming the closest as he hit the bar in stoppage-time.

The second period was much tighter but the Canaries made the breakthrough in the 86^th minute, with Gabriel Sara getting the match-winner.

North End made three changes from the midweek victory over Huddersfield Town, with one of those to come in being Milutin Osmajić, after his hat-trick off the bench.

The Montenegrin was looking to get on the end of a low Duane Holmes cross from the right in the 12^th minute, but he was just beaten to it and the resulting corner from Robbie Brady was headed just over in the centre by Liam Lindsay.

At the other end, Sara’s lofted ball over the top was ambitiously met on the volley by Borja Sainz, and his effort went over the bar from a tight angle.

North End came close to an opener in the 24^th minute when Brady again showed his quality on a set piece, and as Alan Browne headed back across goal, Lindsay was just beaten to it in the air. Mads Frøkjær then sent it back into a dangerous position where Jordan Storey headed wide.

Freddie Woodman soon had some work to do to make saves from Sainz and Ashley Barnes, while striker Josh Sargent almost inadvertently put into the back of his own net just after the half-hour mark.

Sara then twice made sure Woodman was at his best, as he sent a dipping half-volley goalwards from a tricky angle, and three minutes later the goalkeeper brilliantly tipped the midfielder’s low strike round the post.

The woodwork was the only thing in the way of PNE heading into the break a goal to the good, as Whatmough’s header on the end of a Browne free-kick rattled the crossbar in first-half stoppage-time.

North End were certainly threatening on set pieces and another Brady corner in the 50^th minute caused all sorts of trouble, with Kenny McClean having to head off the goal-line.

The game continued to be tight between the two sides and chances came less often than in the first half, but both teams still had their moments.

Jonathan Rowe’s introduction off the bench gave the visitors a lift as he looked to run at Holmes at every opportunity, while PNE sent on Emil Riis and Ched Evans in search of the win.

However, it was the visitors who got the all-important goal, as McLean’s cutting pass found Sara, who chopped inside past Lindsay and found the far corner.

North End did have one last chance in the final minute of the 90, as Angus Gunn fumbled a cross, but one of his defenders got him out of jail to block Browne’s powerful effort and the points went back to East Anglia.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Holmes (Evans, 81), Whatmough, Browne, Brady; Frøkjær (Riis, 62); Keane (Stewart, 90+2), Osmajić. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Ledson, Best, N.Mawene, Seary.

Norwich City line-up: Gunn; Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, McCallum; Núñez, McLean; Sara, Barnes (Batth, 90), Sainz (Rowe, 74); Sargent (Van Hooijdonk, 90+2). Subs not used: Long, Fisher, Welch, Aboh, Lima, Montóia.

Attendance: 16,322 (1,442 Norwich City fans).

Referee: Mr A Kitchen.