Preston North End 1 Doncaster Rovers 1: Rovers denied win after Sharp's penalty failure

Rovers enjoyed the better of the opening period and took a deserved lead when James Hayter finished clinically from Gareth Roberts's cross.

Neil Mellor scored from close range three minutes before the interval to pull Preston level before Sharp saw his 55th-minute spot-kick saved by Andy Lonergan.

Both sides had further chances in a frantic second half, but neither was able to find a winner.

Centre-half Elliott Ward came in for Sam Hird in the only change to the Doncaster side that romped to a 5-2 victory over Bristol City at the weekend.

Preston started the game brightly, with Jon Parkin testing goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from 12 yards. However, Doncaster soon took control and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas curled a left-footed shot wide before fellow loanee Ward went close with an acrobatic effort from a corner.

Emmanuel-Thomas threatened again but Lonergan made a fine save and then kept out a header from Hayter before Rovers made a deserved breakthrough in the 28th minute.

A corner was cleared only as far as Roberts and the full-back's chipped cross reached Hayter, who found the bottom corner with a superb left-footed finish on the turn.

Preston weathered the storm and got back on level terms in the 42nd minute. Sean St Ledger's powerful run was ended in cynical fashion by James Chambers and Paul Coutts's inswinging delivery found Youl Mawene at the far post and he slid the ball across for Mellor, who had the simplest of tap-ins.

Doncaster were given a golden chance to retake the lead when they were awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the second half.

Chambers went down in the area under pressure from

St Ledger but Lonergan dived to his right to keep out Sharp's spot-kick.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St. Ledger, Williams (Davidson 35), Sedgwick, Chaplow (James 65), Coutts, Treacy (Mayor 58), Parkin, Mellor. Unused substitutes: Henderson, Hart, Brown, Chilvers.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, Chambers, O'Connor, Ward, Roberts, Coppinger (Shiels 77), Oster, Wilson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Hayter, Sharp (Martin Woods 83). Unused substitutes: Benjamin Smith, Hird, Mutch, Guy, Spicer.

Referee: P Crossley (Kent).