Match ends, Preston North End 0, Luton Town 1.
PrestonPreston North End0LutonLuton Town1
An own goal from Preston goalkeeper Daniel Iversen was enough to extend their poor run after a narrow home defeat by Luton.
The Hatters forced the best chances of an uneventful game at Deepdale and found a winner inside the final 10 minutes when Iversen saved Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's header, but James Collins' rebound went in off the goalkeeper.
Luton goalkeeper Simon Sluga preserved the lead with only three minutes remaining with a diving save to keep out Sean Maguire's header.
Preston have now won only once in nine matches to crash out of the Championship play-off race.
Manager Alex Neil made five changes from Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough but it failed to spark any improvement from his side.
Until Maguire's late chance there was very little to show for Preston with Maguire having a shot from a narrow angle comfortably saved and second-half substitute Brad Potts seeing a late effort deflected wide.
Luton were much the livelier team with a half-chance for Elijah Adebayo on his left foot well blocked and a shot from Dewsbury-Hall saved low by Iversen.
The Preston goalkeeper then produced an excellent stop after the break, diving to his left to palm away Adebayo's header from James Bree's cross.
But Iversen couldn't keep out Collins' late effort as Luton claimed a first win at Deepdale since 1971.
A second consecutive victory for Nathan Jones' side, following Tuesday's 2-0 win over Coventry, saw them reach 50 points to almost certainly seal another season in the Championship.
Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"The basics at the moment we're finding difficult to do and that makes it extremely difficult to win any football match.
"I don't think it's for a lack of effort, the boys ran about and really tried but we're just not doing well enough.
"I haven't got a Scooby-Doo what my best team is because what I get from one week to the next, god knows."
Luton Town manger Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties:
"I'm delighted because I came back around this time last year and since then the group have been absolutely outstanding.
"We're establishing ourselves as a Championship side and we've had targets of where we want to be and we're hitting every single one.
"We've kept moving forward and that's what we've got to keep doing because we feel we should be higher in the league."
Line-ups
Preston
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 22Iversen
- 2van den Berg
- 14Storey
- 6Lindsay
- 15Rafferty
- 17Whiteman
- 18LedsonSubstituted forGallagherat 86'minutes
- 31SinclairSubstituted forMaguireat 67'minutes
- 11JohnsonSubstituted forBodinat 81'minutes
- 42GordonSubstituted forBarkhuizenat 67'minutes
- 26EvansSubstituted forPottsat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 12Gallagher
- 19Riis Jakobsen
- 21Molumby
- 23Huntington
- 24Maguire
- 25Ripley
- 29Barkhuizen
- 39Bodin
- 44Potts
Luton
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 12Sluga
- 26Bree
- 6Pearson
- 24Naismith
- 18Clark
- 16Rea
- 17Mpanzu
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 4TunnicliffeSubstituted forInceat 71'minutes
- 29AdebayoSubstituted forNombeat 76'minutes
- 7CornickSubstituted forCollinsat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Shea
- 2Cranie
- 8Berry
- 15Lockyer
- 19Collins
- 25LuaLua
- 27Nombe
- 28Morrell
- 39Ince
- Referee:
- Thomas Bramall
Match Stats
Home TeamPrestonAway TeamLuton
- Possession
- Home47%
- Away53%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Preston North End 0, Luton Town 1.
Post update
Offside, Luton Town. Simon Sluga tries a through ball, but Sam Nombe is caught offside.
Post update
Offside, Luton Town. Jordan Clark tries a through ball, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is caught offside.
Post update
Foul by James Collins (Luton Town).
Post update
Brad Potts (Preston North End) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Sam Nombe (Luton Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu following a fast break.
Post update
Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by James Bree.
Post update
James Collins (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Sepp van den Berg (Preston North End).
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Attempt missed. Sean Maguire (Preston North End) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is too high.
Post update
Attempt saved. Liam Lindsay (Preston North End) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tom Barkhuizen.
Substitution
Substitution, Preston North End. Paul Gallagher replaces Ryan Ledson.
Post update
Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Kal Naismith.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Brad Potts (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sean Maguire.
Post update
Offside, Preston North End. Joseph Rafferty tries a through ball, but Sean Maguire is caught offside.
Goal!
Own Goal by Daniel Iversen, Preston North End. Preston North End 0, Luton Town 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. James Collins (Luton Town) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right.
Post update
Attempt saved. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Luton Town).
