Preston North End 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday: Forestieri and Nuhiu salvage draw for Owls

Sheffield Wednesday came from two goals down to salvage a 3-3 draw against Preston North End in a thrilling game at Deepdale, but the Owls' comeback was not enough to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Jayden Stockley nodded in Alan Browne's flick-on and Owls' defender Tom Lees turned the ball into his own net to give Preston a 2-0 lead at half-time.

Wednesday pulled one back when Barry Bannan fired into the top corner from just inside the penalty area after being found by Marco Matias, before Browne got on the end of Sean Maguire's nod-down to restore Preston's two-goal lead with a fine finish.

Fernando Forestieri nodded home substitute Atdhe Nuhiu's cross to halve the deficit, before Nuhiu himself got on the end of Bannan's delivery to head past Connor Ripley and salvage a point for the visitors.

Nuhiu's introduction as a 67th-minute replacement for Josh Onomah turned a match that Preston had dominated for long periods, but the draw leaves Steve Bruce's side six points off the play-off places with only one match remaining.

Preston will rue missed chances to seal the match while leading 2-0, with Maguire diverting Callum Robinson's cross narrowly wide just before half-time.

Wednesday finished the match with 10 men after Dominic Iorfa was shown a straight red card for a foul on Darnell Fisher, but the Owls continued to press for a winner as Liam Palmer hooked an effort over the bar.

Preston, who have now only won one of their last seven Championship matches, could also have snatched the points, but Maguire's goal-bound effort was blocked on the line.

Preston North End manager Alex Neil said:

"We were really good in the first half, but then I could hear Steve Bruce in the next dressing room at half-time, so I figured there would be a reaction from them.

"We created some really good chances and if we'd have been a little more clinical we could have put the game firmly to bed before they came back towards the end.

"The Championship is a really tough league, and it's going to be tough for us to improve if I'm honest. This season has been a really strong learning curve, for everyone.

"We need to keep giving it everything we've got if we are going to finish higher in the table next season, but I do believe we've got the makings of a really good squad."

Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce said:

"We were just awful in the first half, but in the second we were a different team altogether. We started to play to our strengths more, and to be honest I think we could have gone on and won it.

"It was a great advert for Championship football. There were two teams of genuine, honest players out there.

"I think we've lost two in 19 games, and in anyone's book I think that's quite a turnaround.

"At the end of the season we'll probably end up three or four points short (of the play-offs), and that's a terrific effort considering where we were."