Preston turned the form book on its head as they edged out high-flying 10-man Leeds 2-1 at Deepdale.
Liam Millar was the North End hero, firing home brilliantly into the top corner to win a dramatic game in the 89th minute.
Leeds blew their chance to close the gap on the Championship’s top two after keeper Illan Meslier inexplicably earned himself a straight red card early in the second half.
With a full house watching on, the Roses battle atmosphere was white hot as the two teams got under way for the early kick-off.
The first opportunity went Leeds’ way. Djed Spence made a purposeful break down the left and crossed in for Joel Piroe, but his strike was blocked.
There was an even better block at the other end soon after when Glen Kamara expertly got in the way of Ben Whiteman’s shot.
Given Preston boss Ryan Lowe’s much-publicised backing from the club hierarchy during the week, there was certainly no hint of pressure early on as the stuttering hosts – and their fans – were giving it everything.
Canadian winger Millar whipped in a terrific cross, but skipper Alan Browne missed it by inches.
Millar then fluffed a great chance when, after being found in acres of space by Brad Potts, he blazed woefully over the top from 18 yards.
Millar went much closer in the 34th minute, with a brilliant curling effort from an angle forcing Meslier to produce a super save to keep the scores level.
Leeds’ cause was seriously hindered just eight minutes after the restart when a total loss of discipline cost Meslier dearly.
After initially clashing with Whiteman following a comfortably-taken cross from the right, the Leeds keeper then pushed striker Milutin Osmajic in the face after he had intervened and left referee Josh Smith reaching straight to his top pocket for the red card.
Just two minutes later, and with sub keeper Karl Darlow now having replaced Piroe, Leeds fell behind.
Browne found space in the box as he headed home Millar’s pinpoint cross.
Preston, clearly buoyed and now with a goal and a man advantage, fluffed a decent chance to make it two at the three-quarter point of the game when Browne this time smashed wastefully over the top from the edge of the box.
Georginio Rutter went close for the 10 men, before parity was restored, somewhat against the run of play, in the 83rd minute.
Dan James jinked into the box before being tripped by McCann, leaving skipper Pascal Struijk to slot home from the spot to make it 1-1.
However, that was not enough to earn Leeds a point as Millar darted into the visitors’ box before curling home sweetly to seal the deal just before the game headed into added time.
Postecoglou: There's a deadline on signing Werner
Ange Postecoglou has revealed Tottenham have a deadline if they want to make Timo Werner’s loan deal permanent.
The German joined Spurs on loan in January from RB Leipzig, scoring twice and assisting three goals in 14 matches in all competitions for the North London side.
However, Werner missed the last five games of Spurs’ season due to a hamstring injury he sustained against Arsenal.
Postecoglou admitted that he was relaxed about the situation, but whether a deal was made was out of his hands.
Speaking to reporters following their friendly in Melbourne against Newcastle United, Postecoglou said: "I think from our perspective, there's a deadline there.
"Again, a lot of that will depend on the negotiations between the clubs and how Timo feels.
"Again, from my perspective, I'm comfortable with that situation, and I'll let the other guys steer it to see what kind of outcome there is."
After a strong start to their season, Spurs eventually finished fifth in the Premier League, securing a place in the Europa League next season.
The Australian also believes the club need to bring more attacking players in as a priority to balance the higher workload next season after struggling with injuries this campaign.
"Yeah, absolutely. It's no secret [we need new forwards]. You saw the way we finished the season," he said.
"We obviously lost Richarlison and Timo Werner as well with injuries, but we're fairly light in that area.
"We started last season with Manor [Solomon] and [Ivan] Perisic, and we were quite healthy in that front third in terms of numbers, but as the year went on it became pretty evident that we needed to bulk up.
"We're in Europe as well next year, so we'll have more games, and it's definitely an area of the park we'll need to strengthen."
Kroos aiming to go out on a high in LaLiga farewell party
Runaway LaLiga champions Real Madrid welcome Real Betis for the last game of the domestic season in what was supposed to be just a dress rehearsal ahead of next week's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
But the shock retirement announcement of midfielder Toni Kroos on Tuesday suddenly changed the significance of Saturday's clash, which quickly lost that end-of-the-season vibe.
A sold-out crowd will bid farewell to a fan favourite and all-time club great who will play his final game at the stadium after a remarkable decade with the Spanish giants.
Kroos said in a statement on his social media that his last game for Madrid will be next week's Champions League final, adding that he will retire after this year's European Championship on home soil.
Madrid have had little to play for in the last couple of weeks after claiming a record-extending 36th LaLiga title on May 4 and reaching the Champions League final four days later.
Carlo Ancelotti has rested most of his regular starters in the last three league matches but is expected to use the Betis game as a practice run for the Wembley final, with two big question marks in defence.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' full recovery from an ACL tear suffered in August has left the Italian with a tricky decision.
Stand-in Andriy Lunin was Real's penalty hero as they beat Manchester City to reach the semi-finals, but Courtois is widely considered one of the best keepers in the world and is likely to regain his starting spot against Dortmund.
The centre-back who will play alongside Antonio Rudiger is Ancelotti's other issue.
He has used holding midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and long-time back-up defender Nacho alongside Rudiger after David Alaba and Eder Militao sustained ACL tears early in the season.
After making a full recovery last month, Militao has struggled to regain top form and, with Tchouameni out with a foot injury sustained against Bayern Munich, Ancelotti is left to decide between the Brazilian and Spaniard Nacho.
Champions Real Madrid have 94 points, 12 ahead of second-placed Barcelona going into the final round of LaLiga matches this season.
Lewandowski hints at Barcelona stay next season
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski has suggested he will remain at the LaLiga club next season.
Lewandowski joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2022 and has since helped them win the league title last season as well as the Spanish Super Cup.
The 35-year-old ended his debut season as the league's top scorer with 23 goals and has netted a further 18 in Barcelona's current trophy-less campaign.
Lewandowski's current contract is set to expire in 2026, but uncertainties about his future have grown since manager Xavi initially announced his departure in January, only to backtrack in April.
Barcelona are also dealing with economic challenges, with a bloated wage bill and a huge renovation project at the Camp Nou stadium having increased the financial strain this term.
"Of course, for me, it is super clear. I want to win many titles with Barcelona, and I am sure that next season we will be even stronger, and we will also win titles," Lewandowski told Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday when asked about rumours of a potential exit.
"I always want the best, not just for me, but for my team-mates, and I am sure that this team will win titles next season, because I see what we do each day.
"For me, that is what matters, because this is a club that I hold close to my heart and I want to give a lot for the team and the club."
Xavi said earlier in May, "We value Robert's presence in the team very much, and we will decide on his future at the end of the season."
Barcelona are second in LaLiga, 12 points behind newly crowned champions Real Madrid. They face Sevilla in their final game of the season on Sunday.
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