BLACKBURN Rovers missed the chance to move out of the relegation zone after conceding an injury time goal against Preston North End.

Rovers stay unbeaten under Tony Mowbray, but a fourth consecutive draw means they remain in the bottom three after Aiden McGeady’s strike in the third minute of stoppage time gave Preston a 2-2 draw.

Mowbray’s men looked to be heading for all three points after goals from Elliott Bennett and Craig Conway had seen them take the lead after Tom Barkhuizen’s 14th minute for Preston.

That was until McGeady struck late on to see Rovers drop two points and remain in the bottom three with eight games left.

Tony Mowbray made two changes to the Rovers side which drew at Fulham, as Lucas Joao, fresh from three goals in his last two games, came in for Danny Graham who had a knock, while fit-again Charlie Mulgrew replaced Tommie Hoban in central defence.

Rovers started poorly, struggling to find any real momentum with their play in the opening stages.  And for the fourth consecutive game they were to concede first as Preston took the lead in the 14th minute.

It came from Tom Barkhuizen who got on to the end of a Jordan Hugill knockdown to squeeze in between two Rovers defenders and poke the  ball beyond Jason Steele.

Aiden McGeady volleyed over the bar after Mulgrew could only half a left-wing corner as Preston continued to have the better of the opening quarter.

Rovers’ first effort on target came in the 21st minute, as after good work by Elliott Bennett down the right, Joao got his header to the cross, but his header was straight at a grateful Chris Maxwell.

Preston were posing a real threat from set pieces, with Mulgrew forced to head away from under his bar in the 25th minute after a succession of corners from the visitors.

Rovers’ inability to hit the target had been something of a frustration in recent weeks, and that continued just before the half hour mark where Craig Conway and Jason Lowe both failed to test Maxwell with their respective efforts from the edge of the box.

Lucas Joao also failed to trouble Maxwell with his shot after a neat turn on the edge of the box as Rovers began to recover from their slow start to pose more of a threat to the Preston goal.

The striker would come within inches of his fourth goal in Rovers colours seven minutes before the break, only to see his header from Derrick Williams’ cross come back off the inside of the post.

Two minutes before the break they would be level though courtesy of Elliott Bennett’s 25-yarder which found the bottom corner.

And moments before the break they thought they had taken the lead, only for Marvin Emnes to be flagged offside as he turned in from close range after Joao had fired goalwards after a terrific dancing run.

Rovers were fortunate not to fall behind again just a minute after the re-start though as Barkhuizen should have done more with his left foot effort as he got on the end of a right-wing Daryl Horgan cross.

And the Rovers goal was leading something of a charmed life, as Barkhuizen failed to connect with McGeady’s cross, with just a touch needed to restore Preston’s lead.

But with nine minutes of the second half gone, Rovers were to take the lead for the first time as Craig Conway scored his second goal of the week. He was played in by Marvin Emnes’ reverse ball after a neat Rovers move, before slotting past Maxwell with a calm left-foot finish.

That livened up the game, as Rovers began to enjoy their best spell of the game.  They went close to a third in the 67th minute, only for Nyambe’s shot to flash across the goal after an excellent through ball from Bennett.

There was an open feel about the game as it ticked in to the final quarter with Rovers pushing hard for a third, though Preston’s three attacking changes began to give them some impetus.

One of those, Paul Gallagher, who received an excellent ovation from the home fans when he came on, tried his luck from the edge of the box with eight minute to play, only to be denied by the feet of Steele.

Aiden McGeady tried his best to give the visitors a spark, but efforts with his right and left feet within the matter of minutes sailed wide of the post as the visitors began to pile on the pressure.

The visitors did have the ball in the net in the first of four added minutes, only for Hungtington to be flagged offside as he headed home a Gallagher cross.

But in the dying seconds, McGeady would level things up as he hammered home from close range after being teed up by Tom Clarke.