Preston North End 1-1 Stoke City: Lewis Baker’s equaliser gives Mark Robins hope

By Jonny Bentley

PRESTON NE 1

Kesler-Hayden 10

STOKE CITY 1

Baker (pen) 75

Stoke City boss Mark Robins was quick to heap praise on Lewis Baker after his leveller gave his side a vital point at Preston North End as they look to beat the drop.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden bagged the opening goal for the hosts in the 10th minute, and it looked like they would hang on for the win before Baker levelled in the 75th-minute from the penalty spot.

The Stoke boss said of Baker: “He’s been really good since he came back for me.

“We’ve played him in different positions, a little bit deeper and a little bit higher, and it’s higher up the pitch where he’s at his best.”

ON A HIGH: Kaine Kesler-Hayden celebrates giving Preston the lead and, inset, Stoke’s Lewis Baker levels from the spot
PICTURES: AGBPhoto

Match action

Baker’s equaliser was no more than the visitors deserved after mounting up a great deal of pressure, particularly in the second half, but Preston would have been disappointed to lose the lead after holding out for so long.

Both teams came into this game with just three league victories in their last 12 combined, and there was a sense of that lack of form from both sides, with Preston struggling to generate attacks and Stoke continually spurning good openings.

The visitors nearly went ahead in the fifth minute when Million Manhoef stormed onto Ashley Phillips’ hopeful ball over the top, only to be denied by a recovering tackle from Jordan Storey.

But Preston took the lead shortly after as Kesler-Hayden’s shot from the centre of the box trickled in via a deflection after the Aston Villa loanee was found by Sam Greenwood.

Bae Jun-Ho let fly with a 17th-minute rocket from distance as Stoke looked to level, and Baker also went close just five minutes later.

Paul Heckingbottom’s men roared back, and Ashley Phillips had to intervene with a brave block on the half-hour mark as Milutin Osmajic pulled the trigger from Kesler-Hayden’s looping pass.

However, Stoke’s best chance of the half fell to Baker just minutes later, but the former Chelsea man failed to keep his first-time finish down from Wouter Burger’s cross.

Second half

Early in the second half, Burger rippled the side-netting with a shot from just inside the box before Dai Cornell kept out Eric Bocat’s fierce drilled strike.

The Potters continued to dial up the pressure and, on the hour, Cornell was forced to spread himself to deny Bae, who had been played in by Manhoef, with a combination of Storey and Lewis Gibson managing to keep out Baker’s follow-up effort.

Eventually, Robins’ team did get their goal as Liam Lindsay pulled back substitute Ali Al-Hamadi in the box and Baker confidently dispatched the penalty into the corner for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Baker turned provider five minutes later, but Ben Wilmot headed wide from an appetising position as Stoke smelled blood.

Preston were hanging on, but Ben Whiteman went close in a rare foray forward for the home side, striking Kesler-Hayden’s lay-off narrowly over from 20-yards.

Star Man – Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Preston North End)