Dan Cole was given the green light to continue his England career by wife Isobel having decided he did not want to join the contingent of players retiring after the World Cup.
Cole took stock of his Test future after helping England finish third at last autumn’s global showpiece knowing that Courtney Lawes, Jonny May and Ben Youngs had already played their final international games.
The 36-year-old prop has re-established himself in the front row under Steve Borthwick after spending three years in Red Rose exile and is eager to make the most of his time at the top.
“My wife is very understanding that I haven’t got many games left. It was a joint decision,” Cole said.
“She understands that with Steve and the coaches that she knows from Leicester, it is a very good team environment and place to be. I won’t be doing it forever, so enjoy it.”
When asked if the current Six Nations would be his last campaign with England, Cole replied: “I haven’t made up my mind. I haven’t thought about it so far, we’ll see how it goes.
“After the World Cup I thought about everything really. I had a conversation with Steve and he said to me after Courtney had announced his retirement at a press conference ‘are you planning any press conferences or announcements?’.
“I said that ‘I’ve got to speak to my wife and to you Steve because if you’re not going to pick me then I will’. He said that I’d like you to have the option (to play on). I was like fair enough because I owe Steve a lot. And here I am!
“It’s one of those things where you never want to give up, but at the same time you can understand why boys with families do because international rugby is a tough environment to be in. It’s intense.”
Cole will be involved in next Saturday’s visit to Murrayfield where England will be aiming to register a third win of this year’s Six Nations, keeping them on course for the Grand Slam.
The Leicester tighthead’s scrummaging expertise has led to his Test resurgence and he believes the set-piece is more vital than it has ever been.
“Tournament by tournament in international rugby, there are less scrums but they are of higher importance, which is why teams don’t want to give an inch there,” Cole said.
“You have seen in the first couple of weeks of the Six Nations they can sometimes be a bit messy and slow.
“I know the reaction to that over the first couple of weeks of the Six Nations hasn’t been great, but obviously it can be a massive turning point in the game.
“It’s tough because it’s so important and every scrum is heightened. You are playing international rugby and so you are not going to be playing against any mugs, everyone knows what they’re doing and everyone is good.”
Pep Guardiola refused to blame Erling Haaland for wasting chances after Manchester City were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Chelsea on Saturday.
The normally prolific Haaland spurned a number of opportunities, including one glaring free header from six yards out, as the champions were held in a compelling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.
City ultimately needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Rodri to rescue a point after their former forward Raheem Sterling had put the Londoners on course for an unexpected win with a 43rd-minute effort.
City manager Guardiola said: “It’s good to have nine shots and next time he’s going to score.
“I was a football player for 11 years and scored 11 goals. What stats! One goal a season. I’m not a proper man to give advice to strikers.
“We create the chances; he had the chances and next time he’s going to score. I don’t blame him. It’s football, it’s human beings.”
Haaland looked frustrated at the end of the game and pushed away a TV camera, but it has been a difficult week for the Norway international after the death of his grandmother.
The result left City four points off the top of the table in third place, after title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal won earlier in the day.
City dominated the second half, but Guardiola felt they paid the price for a poor first-half display.
Guardiola said: “As a team and a group, the first half was not like we are.
“The demands are so high because no-one is going to give it to us, we have to do everything. We are Man City, so we have to do it for ourselves all the time.
“We had to improve the first half and the second half was unbelievable, how we played and how we made transitions.
“In general, it was really good after we conceded from Raheem but when we play teams with composure and prestige of Chelsea you have to perform at your best for 95 minutes.”
Chelsea’s season has been one of inconsistency, but manager Mauricio Pochettino felt they showed their true character against strong opposition.
Pochettino said: “We tried to prepare, all the coaching staff, to make the plan for the game but football is always a game that belongs to the players and today the execution and the performance was from them. They showed character.
“It was a really important game for us to keep the momentum to realise we are in a good way and improving.
“Still we are not at the level of Man City but that is our aim.
“We need to live this type of game to improve and to create the spirit we need. We show in every single game we want to be competitive.”
Robert Lewandowski snatched a dramatic late victory for Barcelona at Celta Vigo, converting a retaken penalty deep in injury-time for a 2-1 win.
The Catalan giants were on course for a second straight draw after old foe Iago Aspas cancelled out Lewandowksi’s first goal with a deflected effort just after half-time, his 200th career strike.
But with almost 97 minutes on the clock, the tension ramped up as the veteran striker stood over a last-gasp spot-kick and missed.
Lewandowski held his head in his hands but was offered a lifeline when the referee judged that goalkeeper Vicente Guaita had stepped off his line and ordered it to be taken again.
Unfazed, the 35-year-old repeated the same stuttering run-up as before and slotted it home to secure the points for his side and his 50th goal in Barca colours.
It was a much-needed result for Xavi’s men, who have endured a difficult campaign and would have been disappointed to let another result slip through their fingers after being held 3-3 by Granada last time out.
For Celta it was a harsh blow, denying them a hard-earned share of the spoils and leaving them just three points above the relegation zone.
Barca dominated the ball in the first half, but struggled to generate clearcut chances to make the possession count. Lamine Yamal was first to try his luck but could not beat Guaita, while Joao Cancelo screwed a shot wide.
Despite Aspas’ best efforts the hosts were unable to find a foothold and kept absorbing pressure, Andreas Christensen heading wide at a corner and and Ronald Araujo failing to get an effort away.
The dam broke with the interval approaching, Jules Kounde feeding the ball upfield and Yamal playing in Lewandowksi from the wing. The Poland star’s first touch was an instinctive flick off the outside of the boot, taking the ball away from his marker in an instant, and his second was a rifled finish from the edge of the penalty area.
That should have settled Barca but instead they held their lead less than two minutes after the restart. It was Celta’s smoothest move of the match, Jorgen Strand Larsen and and Oscar Mingueza both producing back-heeled touches to play in Aspas as he ran through on goal.
His shot left Marc-Andre ter Stegan with no chance, but only after a hefty deflection off Kounde. Aspas has been a nuisance for Barcelona’s teams for over a decade and took his tally against them to 11 goals in 19 games.
The 36-year-old looked to have settled the draw, with substitutes Raphina and Ilkay Gundogan unable to rally a winner for the visitors and Carl Starfelt marshalling a solid defensive response.
Added time was already well under way when Fran Beltran fouled Yamal in the box, ushering in the penalty drama that offered Lewandowski two bites at the cherry from 12 yards.
Kylian Mbappe has been left out of Paris St Germain’s starting line-up for Saturday night’s Ligue 1 fixture at Nantes.
Mbappe told the French club on Friday of his intention to leave them at the end of the season when his contract expires.
There has been mounting speculation that the 25-year-old will join Real Madrid in the summer.
Mbappe, who started and scored in PSG’s 2-0 win against Real Sociedad in Wednesday night’s Champions League last-16 tie, was in dispute with his club over his contract last summer.
The France forward refused to sign a one-year extension clause and was subsequently exiled from the first-team squad, and left out of their pre-season tour to Asia.
Kylian Mbappe stepped off the bench to convert a penalty as Paris St Germain won 2-0 at Nantes to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 14 points.
Mbappe, who told PSG on Friday of his intention to leave in the summer when his contract expires, struck his 21st league goal of the season from the spot after Lucas Hernandez had given his side a second-half lead.
Amid mounting speculation that Mbappe will join Real Madrid in time for next season, the 25-year-old, along with Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi, were left out of Luis Enrique’s starting line-up.
Mbappe, who started and scored in PSG’s 2-0 win against Real Sociedad in Wednesday night’s Champions League last-16 tie, was in dispute with his club over his contract last summer.
The France forward refused to sign a one-year extension clause and was subsequently exiled from the first-team squad, and left out of their pre-season tour to Asia.
But he was all smiles with boss Enrique as he waited to enter the action at the Stade de la Beaujoire just after Hernandez had broken the deadlock, and was handed the captain’s armband after going on.
At the end of a first half of few clear-cut chances, Nantes twice went close and had a goal ruled out for offside.
Hernandez’s last-ditch tackle thwarted Douglas Augusto and was deemed legitimate by VAR before Marquinhos blocked Nicolas Cozza’s shot after Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved Mostafa Mohamed’s effort.
Nantes thought they had broken the deadlock when defender Nicolas Pallois turned home a corner, but his effort was ruled out by the referee assistant’s flag.
Pallois’ dipping 30-yard volley was comfortably saved by Donnarumma early in the second half and PSG took the lead on the hour-mark through Hernandez’s deflected shot.
Mbappe, Dembele and Hakimi were all sent on by Enrique straight after Hernandez’s opener and the visitors put the result beyond Nantes with 12 minutes remaining.
Augusto tripped Mbappe in the penalty area and the France forward picked himself up to slam home the spot kick for his 26th goal in 28 appearances for his club in all competitions this season.
Nantes went close to a late consolation goal when Donnarumma pushed substitute Moses Simon’s effort on to a post as PSG extended their unbeaten league run to 17 matches.
Juventus continued to lose ground in their pursuit of Serie A leaders Inter Milan after a 2-2 draw with struggling Verona registered a fourth match without a win.
They had to come from behind twice to take a point that leaves them nine points adrift of their rivals and they should have done better with several late chances.
Verona made the brighter start and they were rewarded with a stunning strike by Michael Folorunsho in the 12th minute.
Tomas Suslov’s corner was headed clear by Adrien Rabiot but the ball only reached Folorunsho just outside the area and the Italian midfielder let rip with a screaming volley off his left foot.
The shot flew into the top left corner, giving Wojciech Szczesny no chance of making a save.
Juventus clawed their way level from the penalty spot with Dusan Vlahovic converting after VAR showed Jackson Tchatchoua had handled the ball, referee Marco Di Bello initially believing the ball had deflected off his knee.
Despite the equaliser, Verona were still in control as they went about their work with greater intent.
Their second goal arrived eight minutes after the interval, Tijjani Noslin showing composure and athleticism to steer the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
But Verona’s defence then imploded as they allowed Juventus to work the ball to an unmarked Rabiot, who had the time and space to pick his shot and pull the trigger.
Darko Lazovic forced a sharp save by Szczęsny before drama unfolded in the other goal when Rabiot’s cross with the outside of his foot was met by Vlahovic but the Serbian’s header was off-target.
It was a poor miss by Vlahovic and, as the match entered the final 10 minutes, substitute Federico Chiesa blazed a reasonable chance over the crossbar.
Juventus had one more opportunity to take all three points in injury-time but a well worked move ended with Chiesa prodding the ball wide.
It means Inter have a firm grip on the title race with a game in hand on Juve, while AC Milan can take second place from Massimiliano Allegri’s men with a victory at Monza on Sunday.
Rodri struck a late equaliser as champions Manchester City were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in a compelling Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Raheem Sterling stunned his former club when he fired the visitors into the lead just before half-time in a fiercely-contested encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
Yet City, needing to respond to the victories of title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal earlier the day, fought back and created a succession of chances before Rodri finally found the net after 83 minutes.
His powerful effort was greeted with much relief around the stadium including, presumably, by team-mate Erling Haaland after a glaring miss.
There was still time for further drama with a stoppage-time penalty check for handball against Levi Colwill but nothing was given.
Despite City’s rescue act, the result nevertheless ended their 11-game winning run in all competitions and left Pep Guardiola’s side third in the table, four points off the top.
Despite heavy rain, City started brightly with Julian Alvarez twice threatening but Chelsea also looked dangerous and Conor Gallagher opened up the home defence before misplacing his pass.
Haaland headed hit first chance of the night wide before Sterling let City off the hook when he shot tamely at Ederson after beating Manuel Akanji.
Chelsea went close again when Gallagher picked out another ex-City man in Cole Palmer in the box but Nathan Ake denied him with a fine challenge.
The visitors squandered a better chance when Malo Gusto raced onto a Palmer ball and sent Nicolas Jackson through on goal but a poor touch allowed Ederson to claim at his feet.
It seemed Chelsea might have been made to pay for those misses as Jeremy Doku created an opportunity but he fired straight at Djordje Petrovic.
The Londoners finally made a chance count three minutes before the interval as Palmer released Jackson with a simple ball and he picked out Sterling in front of goal.
The former City forward still had much to do as Kyle Walker closed in but he wrong-footed the full-back with a cut-back and then curled confidently past Ederson.
His celebration was muted but he had done enough to prod City into life and Haaland should have scored as Chelsea struggled to clear a corner but headed over.
The hosts began the second period strongly as Kevin De Bruyne shot narrowly over from a free-kick and Haaland volleyed wide following a quick counter-attack.
Walker also wanted a penalty after tangling with Sterling but referee Andrew Madley awarded a foul in the opposite direction.
Chelsea seemed certain to double their lead when Gusto swept in a superb ball for Sterling to meet with a powerful first-time shot but Ederson saved brilliantly with his foot at point-blank range.
City stepped up the pressure with Foden and Haaland both having shots blocked before Rodri blasted over.
Haaland forced a good save from Petrovic and then wasted a glorious chance when he headed over from six yards from a pinpoint De Bruyne cross.
Chelsea’s resistance was eventually broken seven minutes from time when a Walker shot rebounded into the path of Rodri and the Champions League final match-winner thundered in an equaliser with the aid of a deflection.
The closing stages were frantic but Chelsea held on despite a nervy moment when VAR checked for handball against Colwill.
Captain Nicholas Pooran and Andre Fletcher both hit fifties to help the MI Emirates defeat the Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in the final of the IL T20 on Saturday.
After being put in to bat by the Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, MI piled up an intimidating 208-3 from their 20 overs.
Pooran, batting at number four, led the way with a 27-ball 57* including two fours and six sixes while Fletcher, who batted at three, provided excellent support with 53 off 37 balls including three fours and four sixes.
Openers Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera each had good contributions as well making 43 and 38, respectively.
Left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan was the Capitals best bowler on the day with 1-21 from his four overs.
The Capitals were then never able to recover from losing in form opener Leus du Plooy off just the second ball of the chase when he was trapped in front by Akeal Hosein.
Captain Sam Billings and Tom Banton tried their best with 40 and 35, respectively, but it proved to not be enough as Dubai were eventually restricted to 163-7 from their 20 overs.
Jason Holder made 24 while Rovman Powell made just eight.
Trent boult was excellent with the ball taking 2-20 from four overs while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth took 2-24 from his four overs.
Pooran was adjudged player of the match while Capitals all-rounder Sikandar Raza was named player of the tournament.
Full Scores: MI Emirates 208-3 off 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 57*, Andre Fletcher 53, Muhammad Waseem 43, Kusal Perera 38)
Dubai Capitals 163-7 off 20 overs (Sam Billings 40, Tom Banton 35, Trent Boult 2-20, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-24)
Burton boss Martin Paterson felt his half-time team talk paid off in the 2-1 win at Leyton Orient.
The Brewers had trailed to a George Moncur penalty before the break, but Mason Bennett and Aristote Nsiala made Orient pay for two defensive mistakes to secure all three points in their first visit to Brisbane Road.
It was the second successive win on the road for the visitors, who moved six points clear of the League One relegation zone.
“I spoke to the players at half-time and I think that was the difference because they (Orient) led at half-time but didn’t have a clear-cut chance and only scored from the penalty which was a poor piece of defending,” Paterson said.
“We knew Orient are a really good team that are possession based so we set up a certain way. However within that, I was disappointed we didn’t see the triggers at certain times so sometimes players need education, help and encouragement.
“I’ll be positive about Orient because they have a clear identity but I knew if we could stay in the game and tweak things tactically with our substitutions, we could get something.
“They shaded it first half but second we definitely did, so I’m delighted with the result.
“My job is to keep encouraging, build the confidence. The non negotiables in terms of effort are there for all to see. It’s a group that wins the games not individuals.”
Orient boss Richie Wellens felt his side dropped their levels after the break.
He said: “I think they’ve had three shots on target and they’ve scored from two of them. In the last two home games the opposition have scored five goals and we’ve only faced six shots after we’ve dominated possession.
“I think the performance first half was excellent and we could have been two or three-nil up. Maybe we could have moved the ball quicker, but we were playing against a team who came here to defend and sit back.
“We were passing along the back and we wasn’t clever enough and went safe and played to the full-back and we can’t play like that.
“Fair play to Burton as they stayed in the game and got a smash and grab. We haven’t got the squad to push. We still have a small opportunity but this 10 per cent drop off is huge for us.”
“Second half right from the kick-off we went backwards to our goalkeeper who slips and had to do a Cryuff turn to get out of trouble. It was far too slow. Then we went long ball time and time again and we didn’t squeeze.”
QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes praised a quality goal and an impressive performance after his team boosted their Championship survival hopes with a deserved 1-0 victory at Bristol Rovers.
Ilias Chair’s cool finish, passing the ball into the net from Lucas Andersen’s 42nd-minute cross, was enough to lift the visitors to within one point of fourth-from-bottom Millwall.
The visitors defended their lead with organisation and tenacity in the second half, showing the sort of character they will need to escape the drop.
And a delighted Cifuentes said: “I know we have the necessary spirit to move up the table and it was evident today.
“Our goal came from two quality players combining. Ilias Chair is already a top player for us, but I have told him he has the ability to do even greater things.
“Lucas Andersen also has a lot of quality and it was good to see them working together to create the chance.
“But every member of the team deserved credit for a tremendous performance against very good opponents.
“Bristol (City) had beaten Southampton in the week and we knew how tough it would be to come here and win.
“We worked on certain things to combat their strengths and it was important we bounced back quickly from a poor performance against Stoke.
“It sums up the Championship that Bristol (City) were so good in midweek and yet we were able to restrict them to very few chances today.
“What’s so difficult is to put together consistent performances and results. That is what we must be aiming for in our remaining games.
“Today we have been very good, but being like that for one game is not enough.”
City head coach Liam Manning admitted it was a rare off-day for his team, who have been closing in on the play-off positions.
“From the start, we never got going,” he said. “Collectively – and that includes me with the changes I made – we were not good enough.
“It has been a really hectic schedule since Christmas and perhaps that showed physically and mentally today.
“It’s not an excuse because top teams like Manchester City cope with tough programmes. But they have some of the best players in the world.
“We will give our lads tomorrow and Monday off because I think a short rest will do them good.
“Then it will be back to prepare for our next game. We knew we would have to cope with expectation levels today after our win against Southampton.
“Queens Park Rangers are a better side than their league position suggests. I watched them and was aware that we would be in for a very tough game.
“The players are as frustrated as myself because we can be so much better. But they are an honest group and I have nothing but praise for their efforts in recent weeks.”
City lost young striker Sam Bell with a hamstring injury after only 22 minutes and Manning added: “We won’t be sure how serious it is until we get a scan, but obviously it didn’t look good.”
Relieved Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hailed “inspirational” Matt Ritchie after seeing him come off the bench to snatch a Premier League draw with former club Bournemouth.
The 34-year-old midfielder struck seconds after his stoppage-time introduction – his first goal since July 2022 – to hand the Magpies a 2-2 draw as they twice came from behind to deny the Cherries.
Head coach Howe said: “He’s an inspirational character behind the scenes. He’s someone who in training every day, he drives standards.
“He’s very vocal, very enthusiastic. Even in the changing room before the game, he’s the one driving the group – and that’s someone who hasn’t played as much as he’d like, but he’s put the team ahead of his own needs.
“When you see someone like that, you just hope they will get their reward. I’ve tried to reward him with my value being as high as it could be and desperately wanting to keep him here last year because of those standards he drives, and because he’s a role model.
“He gives his experience to players in ways that even I don’t know. For him to get that moment and score that goal, it’s huge for us and I’m delighted for him.”
Ritchie’s intervention could hardly have been better-timed on an eventful afternoon at St James’ Park.
After a first half during which goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had keep the hosts in the game, he inadvertently handed Bournemouth a 51st-minute lead when he slipped after controlling Sven Botman’s back-pass and Dominic Solanke took full advantage.
Anthony Gordon levelled from the penalty spot after a lengthy VAR check for Adam Smith’s tug on Fabian Schar’s shirt, a decision which infuriated Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Iraola said: “For me it’s very difficult to accept the result. I cannot accept the first goal they scored, the penalty decision. He’s in an offside position.
“I’ve been talking to the referees after the game. I’m not smart enough to understand their explanations. If only we are talking about the foul – it’s a very soft foul for a set-piece because on set-pieces and corners, everyone grabs, goes to the floor and they are not calling anything all season, but they called a foul.
“We have to accept it. We will complain, but we have to accept it. But he was in an offside position, the ball goes exactly where he is, my player grabs the shirt because otherwise he is going to head the ball, obviously affects the play, and they spend 10 minutes (with) five, six referees watching the play.
“Also the VAR doesn’t show the referee the wide camera so he can take the decision of the offside position. For me, it’s very difficult to accept, very, very, very difficult to accept, because I think we deserve a little bit of respect.
“I know we are Bournemouth, we are a small club, but we deserve much more respect than this.”
Antoine Semenyo looked to have won it with a sweet 69th-minute strike, but Ritchie had different ideas.
Howe said: “The way the game had gone and the goals we conceded were tough blows for us. Real credit to the group for raising themselves. It’s not the three (points) we wanted, but I’m glad we didn’t lose.”
Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield felt his team should have earned more than a goalless draw against play-off contenders Oxford after spurning a number of first-half chances.
This was an afternoon when the Chairboys renamed their stadium Adam’s Park as a tribute to 17-year-old supporter Adam Ankers, who died earlier in the month after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for the club’s Foundation Under-19 team.
It was dominated for the best part of an hour by the hosts before Oxford improved and came close to making Bloomfield’s players regret their missed opportunities.
Bloomfield said: “We created more than enough chances to win the game, I believe, and it’s slightly disappointing not to come away with more than what we’ve got.
“But at the same time, I think I have to be pleased with the resilience because if you’re not going to score make sure that you don’t concede.
“Oxford had a couple of chances where we’ve made real big blocks, the back four were really brave in how they defended.
“I spoke before the game to the boys about this being one for our supporters.
“It’s something I was disappointed to not get all three points [from] earlier in the season and we really wanted to do that for our supporters today.
“We wanted to make sure we came out with energy and I feel like we did that first half.”
Wycombe’s first big chance came when Beryly Lubala played the ball through for Dale Taylor, whose shot was saved by the foot of Jamie Cumming.
The Oxford goalkeeper then denied Taylor again and the dangerous Kieran Sadlier sent a clear opportunity into the side-netting before his low ball was somehow put wide by Lubala from close range.
The U’s, who are now three points clear of seventh-placed Stevenage, almost snatched victory with 14 minutes left but home keeper Max Stryjek kept out Cameron Brannagan’s effort.
Oxford boss Des Buckingham said: “It’s an extremely hard-earned point against a team that have picked up some really good results of late and play a very difficult way at times.
“We lost Elliott Moore late last night, which was disruptive, but it was our first clean sheet in a while (12 league games), so to come here and match that, we just needed to be calmer on the ball at times.
“We showed that in the second half, we were calmer on the ball and we created a lot more in the second half.
“We should have had a penalty at the end as well to possibly come away with three points.
“It’s a good point away from home but we need to make sure we back it up on Tuesday with three [against Northampton].”
New Blackburn boss John Eustace was left with plenty of positives from their derby draw at Preston despite seeing the home side fight back from 2-0 down at Deepdale.
After tasting defeat on his return to Birmingham in midweek, Eustace must have felt his maiden Rovers win was on the way after first-half strikes from Sammie Szmodics and Sam Gallagher put them in charge against their Lancashire rivals.
Rovers were unable to hold on, with play-off chasing Preston hitting back just before the break to level through goals from Robbie Brady and Emil Riis, but Eustace was nevertheless heartened by his team’s performance.
“I’m very proud of the effort of the group,” he said. “The way they dug in with a few difficult moments was very rewarding.
“We wanted three points with the way we started, it was exceptional. We executed the game plan and the first half an hour was very good.
“There were a few tired bodies, you could see that and the decision-making a couple of times towards the end of the half cost us.
“It’s disappointing, but there are a lot of positives to take from the game. The way we dug in, the way we stuck together, the way we defended a very physical team. I think this group of players have been questioned for that level of commitment to keep the ball out of the net and I think they did that.
“It’s a good point against a good team.
“There’s no feeling of what might have been because you don’t have any divine right to win any games.
“You have to battle and keep the ball out for 95 minutes.
“We were always going to be under bits of pressure. It was really disappointing to concede two set-pieces. We need to get better at that.
“We’ve got quality players and quality going forward and we showed that. Overall, I’m very happy with the effort of the players.”
Szmodics overtook Plymouth’s Morgan Whittaker at the top of the Championship scoring charts as he gave Rovers an early lead and Gallagher sent the visiting fans into scenes of jubilation with a neat flick in the 23rd minute.
But a four-minute burst scuppered their victory charge with Brady’s stunning strike opening his account for the season and Riis scrambling home his third goal in as many games to draw the hosts level.
“It’s a good point in a local derby,” said Preston boss Ryan Lowe.
“It’s frustrating. When we were in the ascendency and got two goals back, there only looked to be one winner and that was us.
“We were camped out in their half. When you’re two goals down and get back to 2-2, you’ve got to be pleased with the point.
“I was disappointed with the two goals.
“Both sets of teams were out on their feet at the end.
“It wasn’t for a lack of trying. I thought the lads were fantastic in sticking to it.
“It ends up being a bit of a dogged performance in the end. We played a lot of football to try and get our way in. It’s a point in the right direction at the end.
“They were mistakes and individual errors really. I’m not going to fault the players.
“When you’ve got one of the best players in the league through on goal he’s going to score. You can’t give those types of goals away.
“We had to deal with the ball down the side for the second as well. We need to find solutions for next time.”
Ian Evatt was seething for a second successive weekend despite Bolton battling back twice to deny opposite number Nathan Jones his first win as Charlton boss in a 3-3 draw.
Evatt was sent off and then later charged with allegedly using foul and abusive language during his team’s draw at Northampton last Saturday.
And he was livid once more as referee Ross Joyce did not stop play for a head injury to Josh Dacres-Cogley in the build-up to Daniel Kanu putting Charlton 3-2 ahead after 61 minutes.
Substitute Jon Dadi Bodvarsson rescued a point for promotion-chasing Bolton 19 minutes from time.
Victor Adeboyejo had put the home side 1-0 up but the Addicks led 2-1 at the break through Thierry Small’s first goal for the club on debut and Lloyd Jones.
Paris Maghoma scored a spectacular equaliser six minutes after the interval only for Kanu to cap a fine display with a low shot that went in off a post.
“He (Dacres-Cogley) landed on his head,” claimed Evatt. “He is clearly holding his head. He is down on the floor.
“We know the impact of head injuries and how serious they can be. At that point no-one could have known how serious it could be.
“The referee told me he (Dacres-Cogley) had sat up. But I have watched the footage back after the game and he didn’t at any stage.
“A few ricochets later it is in the back of the net. It is baffling considering what happened with their goalkeeper at the end.”
With Bolton pressing for a winner referee Joyce halted play to allow treatment to Charlton keeper Harry Isted.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is a goalkeeper or not; it’s not a head injury,” argued Evatt, who also claimed he heard “bad language” directed at the officials.
“It just feels like the world is going against us with decisions, with suspension and with injuries. We have lost four key members to our team.”
Charlton chief Jones was full of praise for his team’s point ahead of games against Bolton’s promotion rivals Portsmouth and Derby.
But he claimed not to have seen anything untoward before Kanu scored.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “Well done, that’s one thing he (Mr Joyce) gave us today.
“I didn’t see it. I thought it was a good goal.
“To come here and to score three against one of the best and arguably the best footballing side in the division and to be able to do what we did showed we are progressing.
“It was a positive performance, it was an energetic performance and at no point did we look to contain.”
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