Preston North End and Derby County played out a goalless draw as everyone inside Deepdale celebrated the life of Mr Trevor Hemmings.
Before the game, those in attendance paid their respects to Mr Hemmings, firstly watching a tribute video to the owner on the big screen, before skipper Alan Browne then placed a flat cap in the centre circle, followed by a minute’s applause.
Browne was one of three to return to the starting line-up, with Andrew Hughes and Tom Barkhuizen included from the start, the latter’s appearance his first in the league since the opening day.
Derby had the better of the chances in the game’s early stages and offered a stern test to Daniel Iversen’s goal nine minutes in, as Ravel Morrison’s 25-yard effort moved in the air and the Dane did well to get a hand to it and tip over the bar.
The Rams continued to see more of the ball, without creating any real further chances of note, and at the other end Sepp van den Berg showed his quality at wing back, getting forward and floating a ball up to the back post where Josh Earl could only head over.
Iversen was called back into action less than sixty seconds later, having to dive low to his right to keep Tom Lawrence’s effort out.
Derby almost broke the deadlock in first half stoppage time, as full back Festy Ebosele dribbled the ball in and out of North End defenders before taking on his shot once in the area, but again Iversen was equal to it.
Both sides came out unchanged after the break and the home side came close within five minutes, as Emil Riis crossed into the area from the right for Andrew Hughes to flick a header just wide of goal.
After both Scott Sinclair and Ben Whiteman were brought on by Frankie McAvoy, for Barkhuizen and Ryan Ledson, it was the visitors who had a good spell. Firstly it was Morrison who sent an effort just wide, before Curtis Davies headed onto the woodwork just moments later, and fellow defender Phil Jagielka then forced a strong save from Iversen on the rebound.
At the other end, substitute Sinclair showed great energy to chase down a loose header back to Allsop from a Derby defender, latching on to it before seeing a shot just saved by the ‘keeper at the near post.
The biggest chance of the game for North End fell to top scorer Riis on 82 minutes, with the forward running on to a through ball from Johnson, but the Dane’s low shot was saved by Allsop.
PNE then came agonisingly close just moments later as Andrew Hughes' header from Whiteman's corner fell inches wide courtesy of a deflection, and the Welsh defender saw another shot saved in the closing stages.
PNE line-up: Iversen; Storey (Murphy, 76), Bauer, Hughes; van den Berg, Ledson (Whiteman, 63) Browne, Johnson, Earl; Riis, Barkhuizen (Sinclair, 58). Subs not used: Rudd, Cunningham, Lindsay, Potts.
Derby line-up: Allsop; Ebosele, Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan; Bird, Shinnie; Knight, Lawrence, Morrison; Baldock (Sibley, 24 (Kazim-Richards, 77)) Subs not used: Roos, Jozwiak, Stearman, Watson, Williams.
Attendance: 18,092 (2,448 Derby fans)
Referee: Mr J Smith