Bazunu causes Preston panic as Saints snatch share of the spoils

Two quick-fire strikes early in the second half looked to have condemned Saints to defeat in a game of few chances at Deepdale.

The visitors had edged in front through a fabulous finish from Kyle Walker-Peters, scoring his first goal in more than a year in some style with a sublime left-footed strike.

Preston did show signs of a revival late in the first half, forcing Gavin Bazunu into an excellent reaction save to deny Will Keane, before the hosts came to life shortly after the interval.

Half-time substitute Milutin Osmajić levelled the scores with a powerful low drive seven minutes into the second period, before turning provider for Brad Potts three minutes later.

But Saints kept pushing, and when Bazunu came forward for a corner in the final minute of added time, there was panic in the Preston box and Evans inadvertently headed past his own goalkeeper from Ryan Fraser’s delivery.

Russell Martin promised changes and duly delivered five, as Saints embarked on their second long away trip in five days following Saturday’s stoppage-time heroics at Hull.

Mason Holgate, James Bree, Shea Charles, Samuel Edozie and Ché Adams were all handed starts, including a first of the Sky Bet Championship season for Bree, who was operating at left-back.

Stuart Armstrong, Carlos Alcaraz and Kamaldeen Sulemana all dropped to the bench, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis was left at home along with the suspended Ryan Manning.

Preston were first to threaten from a free-kick conceded by Edozie that was flicked on by Alan Browne and headed over by fellow Irishman Greg Cunningham at the far post.

Then Liam Millar escaped down the left, jinked inside and hit a curling shot towards the far corner that forced Bazunu into a smart save down to his left.

Shea Charles operated in a more advanced midfield role

Saints were bossing the early possession, playing out neatly through Bazunu, but Adam Armstrong’s long-range snapshot that sailed off target was the only sight of goal for the visitors inside the opening 20 minutes.

Bree had made a steady start, and showed his growing confidence when he traded passes with Charles and tried his luck from 20 yards, forcing a first save from goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

The full-back was on set-piece duty as well, sending one teasing delivery into a decent area, but nobody read his intentions.

Instead it was the man on the opposite flank, Walker-Peters, who made the breakthrough 12 minutes before the interval in spectacular fashion.

A goal made in defence, Jan Bednarek confidently strode out from the back before Will Smallbone spotted Walker-Peters in a familiar position near the right corner of the penalty area.

From there the right-back stepped inside and unleashed an inch-perfect left-footed shot that curled deliciously inside the far post for his first goal in 14 months, and was just reward for his outstanding recent form.

Having assisted the opener, Smallbone, already on a yellow card, was penalised for another foul shortly before the interval, despite only making minimal contact with Millar.

A late rally from Preston saw the hosts come close to a timely equaliser, as Bazunu clawed out a near-post corner before the ball was kept alive in the box and Keane’s shot on the turn was miraculously kept out by the keeper as Charles also retreated to the goal line in a backs-to-the-wall passage of play.

Keane had another close-range header saved after Adams was caught by a late challenge from Ben Whiteman that saw the Preston man booked and the Saints striker receive treatment.

Adams did not return for the second period, forced off by the injury and replaced at the interval by Sékou Mara.

Ché Adams celebrates Kyle Walker-Peters's stunning opener

But it was another half-time substitute, Osmajić, who had the desired impact for his team when he drove a dropping ball through a crowded penalty area from 20 yards that fizzed past the unsighted Bazunu to level the scores.

Before Saints had time to reset, Preston were celebrating again when Potts surged through from Osmajić’s pass, running beyond Edozie and keeping his cool to turn the game on its head.

Martin responded with a double change, introducing Stuart Armstrong and Kamaldeen for Smallbone and Edozie, as Saints soon upped the ante.

The Scot tried to replicate his match-winning free-kick at Stoke from just outside the box and did well to force a save from Woodman, but the angle did not favour the right foot and Saints did not have a natural left footer on the pitch.

Walker-Peters, eager to redress the balance, chipped a cross from the byline attacked by Mara, but the Frenchman was unable to generate the power needed to beat Woodman.

Mara did tremendously well to find a cross of his own that flashed across goal, but in his absence there was nobody waiting to finish it off.

Saints’ fourth change was the arrival of Fraser, who made such a telling impact at Hull, before Alcaraz replaced Adam Armstrong for the final eight minutes plus added time.

After being booked for a dive, Millar looked to have laid on a certain goal for Osmajić to finish off Saints, only for Bednarek to make a heroic last-ditch intervention at full stretch.

Kamaldeen fired into the side-netting with the chance to draw level, having worried Preston with a couple of bursts, but the hosts looked set to hold on.

That was until Bazunu came forward for the game’s last corner and was the closest Saint to getting a touch on Fraser’s near-post delivery, as the keeper’s jump distracted Evans behind him, whose fatal touch flew past Woodman to ensure a share of the spoils.

Preston: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham, Potts, Whiteman, Browne (c), Millar, Holmes (Ledson 89), Frøkjær (Osmajić 46), Keane (Evans 75).

Unused substitutes: Cornell, Bauer, Best, Brady, Woodburn, Stewart.

Goals: Osmajić (52), Potts (55).

Booked: Whiteman, Millar, Cunningham.

Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Holgate, Bednarek, Bree, Smallbone (S Armstrong 58), Downes (Fraser 72), Charles, A Armstrong (c) (Alcaraz 82), Adams (Mara 46), Edozie (Kamaldeen 58).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Meghoma, Aribo, Amo-Ameyaw.

Goals: Walker-Peters (33), Evans o.g. (90+6).

Booked: Smallbone, Bazunu.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Attendance: 15,346 (1,549 away)