Yuki Ohashi climbed off the bench to head a 95th-minute winner as Blackburn Rovers edged a tense Lancashire derby 1-0 against Preston North End, handing Michael O'Neill victory in his first home Championship game in charge. In a contest short on clear-cut chances, the Japanese forward produced the one moment of genuine quality, steering Eiran Cashin's deep cross beyond David Cornell to secure a vital three points in Rovers' battle against relegation.
The late strike, Ohashi's seventh goal of the season, earned Blackburn back-to-back league wins for the first time since November and opened up a six-point cushion to the relegation places heading into the rest of the weekend's fixtures. For Preston, who had twice struck the woodwork through Alfie Devine and arrived at Ewood Park with eyes on the play-off positions, the defeat ended a three-game unbeaten run and left manager Paul Heckingbottom seething at the loss of a point that had looked secure deep into stoppage time.
Slow-burning derby after Preston's fast start
The visitors settled more quickly in a game that otherwise lacked the bite and intensity usually associated with this rivalry. Within two minutes Devine's inswinging corner from the right almost embarrassed Balasz Toth, sailing over everyone in the six-yard box before clipping the top of the crossbar and drifting harmlessly over.