Milutin Osmajic's early penalty and a resolute defensive display earned Preston North End a gritty 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town at Deepdale, handing the Championship promotion favourites their first league defeat of the campaign after successive draws. Osmajic converted from the spot after being fouled by Jacob Greaves, and despite having only two shots all afternoon, Preston made the most of their fast start to claim back-to-back league wins for the first time since January.
Ipswich dominated long stretches of the contest, enjoying more than 70% of the possession and registering 15 attempts at goal, but managed just two efforts on target as their attack once again failed to click. For Paul Heckingbottom's side, a second victory in three unbeaten league games and a first league clean sheet since March lifted Preston into the early top six and offered a powerful response against one of the division's most talked-about squads.
Bright Opening Turns on a Clumsy Challenge
Ipswich actually carved out the first sight of goal inside the opening minute when Jaden Philogene stepped in from the flank and flashed a long-range strike narrowly over Daniel Iversen's crossbar. It was an early sign of the visitors' intent to take control, even if their fluency in the final third would desert them as the game wore on.