Sunderland drew a blank against clean sheet specialists Preston as the Black Cats had to settle for a point at the Stadium of Light. Tony Mowbray's men were facing a Preston side with the tightest defence in the Championship, having conceded only four goals so far, and also the division's lowest scorers, with just three goals to their name, and who have now notched six goalless draws in 11 games this term.
And with Sunderland's two centre-forwards Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms still sidelined through injury, it meant they struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities with visiting keeper Freddie Woodman only called upon to deal with efforts from Elliot Embleton and Patrick Roberts either side of half-time. At the other end, Preston also looked shot-shy although Sunderland needed Aji Alese to clear off the line from Ben Whiteman in the first half and Lynden Gooch to do the same from Jordan Storey in the second.
The draw meant Sunderland slipped one place to seventh in the table. Mowbray named an unchanged starting XI, sticking with the same side that began the draw at Watford heading into the international break.
READ MORE: Sunderland 0-0 Preston North End: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats held at home
Preston boss Ryan Lowe made four changes, in his case to the side that lost 2-0 at home to Sheffield United a fortnight ago. He brought in Greg Cunningham, Robbie Brady, Ryan Ledson, and Ched Evans, in place of Andrew Hughes, Brad Potts, Alistair McCann, and Troy Parrott.
Sunderland dominated the first half, but found it difficult to create chances against a Preston side boasting the tightest defence in the division. Alex Pritchard saw a shot squirt wide from inside the box, while the dangerous Jack Clarke also missed the target after cutting into the area from the left flank.
Alese and Roberts also sent efforts wide of the target, and it was not until shortly before half-time that Sunderland finally made Woodman work, when Embleton saw a shot blocked and when the ball came back to him he was denied by the Preston keeper. At the other end, Sunderland largely kept Preston at arm's length but the visitors had the best chance of the half inside the opening ten minutes when the Black Cats failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Whiteman who fired a shot towards goal which beat Anthony Patterson, but not Alese who got back to clear just in front of the line.
Patterson came to Sunderland's rescue ten minutes into the second half, tipping a shot from Evans over the bar after Liam Lindsay had nodded a free-kick down for the striker inside the box. And a couple of minutes later, Roberts went close for Sunderland when he skipped past one man to get into the box on the right, then stepped inside a second defender, only to then send his shot across the face of goal and beyond the far post.
Gooch cleared off the line from Storey, as Preston threatened from a corner late on. Then good work from substitute Jewison Bennette set up Roberts inside the box, but his low shot was too close to Woodman.
The game became end-to-end in the final stages, but neither side was able to find a winning goal.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, O'Nien, Batth, Alese, Gooch, Evans (Ba 61), Neil, Clarke (Dajaku 81), Roberts, Embleton (Diallo 61), Pritchard (Bennette 71). Subs not used: Bass, Matete, Wright
Booked: Roberts
Preston North End: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham, Brady (McCann 86), Ledson (Woodburn 73), Whiteman, Browne, Fernandez, Riis, Evans (Parrott 67). Subs not used: Cornell, Johnson, Diaby, Potts
Booked: Lindsay
Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)
Attendance: 41,225
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