Sunderland and Preston were forced to share the spoils after their clash finished in a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light.
The hosts had chances to break the deadlock through Elliot Embleton and Patrick Roberts, who came close on multiple occasions, while Preston’s Ched Evans was denied in the second-half.
A point apiece means the Black Cats drop into seventh in the Championship table while Preston move up into 14th, with three goals scored and four conceded from 11 games.
Sunderland had the first attack of the opening period after a long ball found Jack Clarke and his pass into the box caused problems for the Preston defence.
The hosts played the same ball to Clarke moments later and he found Aji Alese, who brought the ball down but was unable to fire home.
Preston began to settle into the game and Ben Whiteman had two chances, with his loopy shot cleared off the line by Alese before his free-kick was well-held by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Roberts had a chance of his own after getting the ball on the edge of the box but his curling effort narrowly missed the top-left corner.
The Black Cats continued to push and came close on the cusp of half-time, Embleton’s shot from the right was cleared by the Lilywhite defence before Freddie Woodman made a good low save from Embleton’s effort on the rebound.
Woodman was called into action again minutes later but made a comfortable save to deny Alese.
The start of the second half saw end-to-end action as Whiteman broke forward for Preston and Alan Browne whipped in a ball from the right but no one was there to have a shot.
Patterson was called into action 52 minutes in when a free-kick fell to Evans in the centre of the box, and his powerful effort was tipped over the bar by the Sunderland goalkeeper.
Sunderland then came close minutes later when Roberts threaded the ball past two Preston defenders, but his low shot whistled past the bottom corner.
Preston nearly had a chance from a corner when the ball fell to Jordan Storey, who struck the ball towards the bottom corner and was cleared, before Patterson made a low save from a free-kick moments later.
Substitute Jewison Bennette did well to keep the ball in play on the right and picked out Roberts, but Woodman made the save from the winger’s low shot.
The Preston shot-stopper was called into action again, quickly reacting to make a low dive and deny Bennette.
Preston nearly found a late winner in stoppage-time when Browne struck low and the ball took a slight deflection, but Patterson was equal to it.
