Grayson frustrated after draw

Michael O'Connor twice pegged North End back from the penalty spot - his second kick five minutes from time - as the second-placed Lilywhites had to settle for a 2-2 draw for a point against 10-man Port Vale.

Grayson said: "Everyone knows we've dropped four points this week.

"We'd taken control of the game and got the goal in the first half. But then we stopped working the opposition at the start of the second-half. When you are playing against 10 men you need to have better game management.

"In the last ten minutes it looked as though they were the team with 11 men.

"It is frustrating and we have let the supporters down. But we finished in the dressing room on a positive note and we stressed that our destiny is still in our own hands."

Dominant Preston had seized the initiative from the kick-off, pinning lowly Vale into their half with chances falling at regular intervals until Johnson's 12th-minute finish.

Jermaine Beckford, passed fit to resume North End's promotion push, was put through in the opening minutes and it was only a last-ditch block from Richard Duffy which prevented the striker pulling the trigger.

Without a win in their last eight games, Robert Page's side have been dragged into trouble and there was an air of desperation about their defending.

There seemed no stopping Joe Garner's 30-yard missile en route, yet Chris Neal got the merest of touches to push the ball around via his near post.

But Preston's early pressure counted when Neal flapped at Paul Gallagher's corner and Johnson rammed the ball home from 10 yards for the opener.

Vale had failed to trouble keeper Sam Johnstone in the first-half. But the introduction of Tom Pope at the restart galvanised a more direct approach.

And Pope won a 52nd-minute penalty after he was held by Clarke as he stretched for a cross from Mark Marshall. O'Connor despatched the kick, sending Johnstone the wrong way.

But Preston restored their lead seven minutes later as referee Richard Clark again pointed to the spot after Richard Duffy blocked Tom Clarke's follow-up to an effort that hit the post with his arm.

Vale players protested furiously as Duffy was ordered off before Garner sunk the penalty with aplomb.

Yet despite their inferior numbers, Vale were still fighting when Marshall forced Johnstone into a low one-handed save.

And when Jon Welsh caught Pope inside the box, O'Connor levelled again with another confident penalty conversion.

Vale manager Page declared his pride for his players' fighting spirit.

"Credit to the lads they never threw the towel in against an excellent team.

"It's a point gained, but more important it's the positives that come out of the performance," said Page. "We've got to take that momentum into our last two games.

"I thought we needed a change at half-time (bringing Pope on) and Tom had an impact on the game.

"Michael stays behind to practice his penalties so I was confident he would score with both when he stepped up."