COVENTRY City saw their lead at the top of the Championship table cut to five points following a 1-1 draw away at 10-man Preston North End.
The Sky Blues missed the chance to claim a first-ever league win at Deepdale after the home side had Liam Lindsay sent off shortly before half time.
Frank Lampard’s side eventually made the most of the man advantage when Jack Rudoni’s shot deflected into the net off Andrew Hughes on 70 minutes.
However, Daniel Jebbison drew the home side level seven minutes later with the Sky Blues unable to find a winner.
And the result means Coventry lead Middlesbrough at the top of the Championship table by five points.
Coventry went close early on as Josh Eccles pinged a long ball into the path of Haji Wright who saw his low effort saved by North End goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.
Wright spurned a golden chance to break the deadlock soon after when he controlled Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s lofted pass and burst into the box only for Iversen to deny the striker when one-on-one six-yards from goal.
The visitors continued to dominate the chances at Wright headed wide at the back post after Liam Kitching flicked on Bobby Thomas’s long throw from the right.
And Preston had defender Lindsay sent off five minutes before the break when he pulled Wright to the ground outside the box with the striker clean through on goal.
City finally had the ball in the back of the net after the interval only for Wright to see his effort ruled out for an offside against Ephron Mason-Clark in the build up.
Preston responded with a chance at the other end as Carl Rushworth tipped Harrison Armstrong’s hooked volley over the crossbar.
The home side continued to frustrate the visitors as Iversen palmed Victor Torp’s effort from inside the box over the bar.
Coventry eventually made the breakthrough on 70 minutes when Rudoni’s scuffed effort struck Hughes and deflected past a wrong-footed Iversen and into the net.
However, Preston stunned the Sky Blues seven minutes later as Jebbison diverted Pol Valentin’s cross from the right into the top left corner on the volley from eight-yards out.
The draw means Coventry have now failed to win any of their 24 league meetings with Preston at Deepdale (drawn nine, lost 15).
Coventry are next in action against Bristol City on Saturday, December 13 with kick-off at 3pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
