Sontje Hansen struck in the second minute of stoppage time to earn Middlesbrough a 2-2 draw at Preston North End and keep the Championship leaders’ unbeaten start alive after a breathless finish at Deepdale. The summer signing from NEC Nijmegen bundled home from close range amid a frantic scramble, just when it seemed Jordan Storey’s late header had given Preston a statement victory.
Lewis Dobbin’s first-half thunderbolt put Preston in front, only for Matt Targett to level with a well-taken volley midway through the second period. Storey’s 88th-minute header briefly restored the hosts’ advantage before Hansen, introduced moments after that goal, ensured Rob Edwards’ side emerged with a point that keeps them top of the table. Middlesbrough missed the chance to open a league season with five straight wins for the first time in their 149-year history, but twice coming from behind underlined the character that has carried them to the Championship summit, while Preston were left balancing disappointment at the late blow with pride in a bold performance.
Dobbin’s moment of quality lights up the first half
Preston were on the front foot from the off, with Alfie Devine drawing the first real reaction from the stands when his dipping free-kick from 25 yards flew narrowly over the crossbar. The hosts’ bright start set the tone and, after probing down both flanks, they struck on 22 minutes in spectacular fashion. On-loan winger Lewis Dobbin collected the ball wide on the left, drove aggressively at Luke Ayling, skipped past the full-back and, from the edge of the box, crashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner for his second goal of the season. Having failed to make an impression at Aston Villa following a £10 million move from Everton last summer, Dobbin looked every inch a player determined to get his career back on track.