Bradford and Preston served up a predictable stalemate at Valley Parade to consolidate each other's mid-table position - but the game was marred by a sickening late injury to Richard Cresswell.

Both sides have now shared 13 draws between them in the First Division so far this season.

Graham Alexander's penalty six minutes before the break cancelled out Michael Proctor's 20th-minute effort but both sides contrived to squander a series of chances.

However, the game was marred by a late injury to Preston's Richard Cresswell, who collided with advertising hoardings after a challenge with Gus Uhlenbeek.

The incident seemed to leave the striker flat out cold in front of his own fans, and in the resulting melee Ricardo Fuller was red-carded for protesting.

Cresswell was stretchered off after the game had finished.

Moments earlier Preston looked to have stolen all three points right at the death - but Chris Lucketti's flying header was adjudged offside.

On a blustery day Bradford started in the more urgent fashion, but neither side could muster a chance in the opening quarter of an hour.

Stalemate broken

The stalemate was abruptly broken in the 20th minute however, with Proctor side-footing home his fourth of the season after Lewis Emanuel's centre.

Preston did not buckle however, and Cresswell should have brought them parity but fired over wastefully from six yards after Erik Skora's muscular good work.

But they drew level in the 39th minute when Dutchman Uhlenbeek upended Ricardo Fuller in the box, with Graham Alexander slamming home the resulting spot-kick.

Preston were unbelievably denied a goal two minutes after the break when, after a six-yard box scramble, Cresswell's point-blank shot was somehow parried by a horizontal Steve Banks.

Eddie Lewis should then have done better himself when, after turning neatly inside the defence, failed to keep his 15-yard shot on target.

Alexander's inswinging cross was met forcefully by Paul McKenna's head on the hour but Banks' instinctive block was enough to keep the scores level.

Bradford also had their chances to seal all three points.

Ward was a whisker away from Andy Gray's centre 11 minutes from time and then with two minutes on the clock Uhlenbeek completely fluffed his first-time shot when any contact would probably have beaten Moilanen.

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Bradford: Banks, Uhlenbeek, Molenaar, Myers, Jacobs, Emanuel, Gray, Warnock, Jorgensen, Ward, Proctor. Subs: Beasant, Juanjo, Standing, Reid, Fishlock.

Preston: Moilanen, Murdock, Broomes, Lucketti, Alexander, McKenna, Etuhu, Skora, Lewis, Fuller, Cresswell. Subs: Jackson, Anderson, Healy, Rankine, Lonergan.

Referee: M Cooper (West Midlands)