Tuesday night sees PNE and Middlesbrough meet for the 100th time in competitive games.
It will be our 91st league game, with Boro leading the head to head 39 wins to 27, although last season’s trip to the Riverside Stadium saw the Lilywhites’ first win at the stadium and our first league win on Teeside since 1971.
That night Paul Gallagher’s equalising second half free kick was added to by Jayden Stockley’s goal to give Alex Neil’s side a 2-1 win over their hosts.
Our first league game against Middlesbrough came in November 1901, when we suffered a 2-1 defeat, and it was the same scoreline, in reverse that saw North End win at Ayresome Park for the first time, in March 1906.
Our biggest wins up in the north east came in Sir Tom Finney's hey days, a 5-2 triumph in December 1951 and a 4-0 win in August 1953.
Before last season’s victory, our best previous results at the Riverside were all draws, one under Phil Brown, seeing a very late equaliser.
It was Billy Jones who struck the goal back in January 2011 – one of two late equalisers he scored in games against Boro for PNE.
In this particular game, Middlesbrough were denied an opener when Nicky Bailey's 35-yard shot was parried by Andy Lonergan, who then kept out Leroy Lita's shot from the rebound.
The hosts made the breakthrough when defender Matthew Bates struck an 18-yard shot into the bottom left-hand corner for his second goal this season.
But with two minutes left, Jones headed home a cross from Conor McLaughlin to salvage a point for North End.
Despite failing to hold on to their lead Boro continued to show signs of improvement under Tony Mowbray and this result extended their unbeaten league run to five matches.
And Phil Brown's men took heart from their battling display. Aside from Lita's chance, genuine opportunities were scarce throughout the opening half.
After the restart, Boro sought to up the tempo after the restart, but Julio Arca rifled wide from 20 yards. Boro began to increase the pressure and finally struck with 19 minutes remaining when Bates advanced forward from defence and hit a right-foot shot that flew in.
Yet Preston refused to lie down and Jones headed in to ensure the sides shared the spoils and take a point back to Lancashire.