WANDERERS will spend another weekend in the Championship’s bottom three after failing to find inspiration in a dour Deepdale derby.

It is now 956 days since a Bolton team last won on the road in the Championship – that when the silky skills of Eidur Gudjohnsen lit up a glorious sunny Easter weekend in Cardiff.

Though improving, Wanderers will need to find something extra on their travels if that run is not going to stretch beyond the 1,000 mark.

This war of attrition had neither silky skills nor warm weather.

Phil Parkinson’s side are harder to beat these days, as Preston found out. The home side threw everything they had at the Whites in the first half but could not puncture their defences.

Ben Alnwick, who preserved his first clean sheet this season, was not tested beyond his limits, however, and was a virtual spectator after the break as Wanderers finally found some rhythm.

Chances came and went for Josh Vela and Karl Henry from distance but in the end neither manager will complain at the result.

Wanderers failed to get any sort of foothold in the game during a one-sided first half, Preston keeping them penned in with a succession of dangerous set pieces.

Paul Gallagher capitalised on some loose marking at a short corner to bring a smart stop from Ben Alnwick at his near post and Antonee Robinson was called upon to make an emergency clearance in front of the massed ranks of Bolton fans behind the goal when Kevin O’Connor fired another dangerous ball across the six-yard box.

Another corner put Parkinson’s side in trouble a few moments later as Andy Boyle’s flick ebbed agonisingly wide.

Tom Barkhuizen went even closer, getting good contact on another centre from Gallagher only to put his header off target with the goal begging.

Just when it appeared some of the wind has dropped out of their sails, Preston upped the stakes again. Stephy Mavdid headed wide from six yards out and Alnwick then made a hash of collecting Robinson’s cross, thankfully with no home attacker in attendance.

Mavdidi had been a target for Wanderers in the summer, and the muscular Arsenal and England Under-20 international was showing exactly why. Wanderers did eventually slow the procession of crosses Preston were getting into the penalty box at one stage of the first half but Mavdidi’s pace and movement was a different matter altogether.

Quite out of the blue, or in this case purple, Wanderers showed some attacking intent. Sammy Ameobi got on the ball for the first time in the game and drove at O’Connor – his cross could have been turned in by Gary Madine but when the ball was half-cleared towards Josh Vela on the edge of the box, the midfielder’s fierce left-footed volley was tipped superbly over the bar by Chris Maxwell.

That one moment aside, Wanderers had failed to muster any real attacking threat. The half ended with Mavdidi driving another low shot from the edge of the box to bring a save out of Alnwick – and the look of concern was evident as Parkinson and his coaching staff walked back to the tunnel in the corner of the Deepdale pitch.

North End had failed to score against Wanderers in their last two home league meetings, stretching right back to 1992. They will wonder how that run had not come to an end.

Bolton needed to find another gear. Their lack of attacking ideas was summed up when Madine won a free kick 25 yards from goal which ended up being laid-off for David Wheater.

It did not deter the away fans, whose deafening backing at times was out of keeping with the lack of encouragement they were getting on the pitch.

Ameobi gave them a bit of hope on 63 minutes, skipping around Robinson his clipped cross was bundled behind by Paul Huntington. The move could actually be tracked back to an excellent challenge from left-back Robinson – but revived Parkinson’s side, who suddenly seemed capable of claiming victory.

Armstrong was next to take a pot shot, cutting in from the left flank and beating full-back Callum Woods, his shot pushed away by the sprawling Maxwell.

Mark Beevers picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for a cynical challenge on Woods which means he will miss Tuesday night’s home clash with Reading.

Both sides rather lost their way in the final stages, a late flurry of corners the best Bolton could muster in an effort to win the game.

They will take the point, and a sixth game unbeaten.

But the feeling that there will not be a better chance to come and claim all three from Preston this season still nagged at the back of the mind as the fans cheered the players off the field.

WANDERERS (4-2-3-1)

BEN ALNWICK 7

MARK LITTLE 7.5

DAVID WHEATER 7

MARK BEEVERS 7

ANTONEE ROBINSON 7

KARL HENRY 6

DARREN PRATLEY 6

SAMMY AMEOBI 6

JOSH VELA 6

ADAM ARMSTRONG 6

GARY MADINE 6

Subs: Buckley 6, 71 (for Armstrong), Morais 84 (for Vela).

Not used: Howard, Noone, Derik, Morais, Burke, Hall.

Preston (4-2-3-1): Maxwell; Woods, Huntington, Boyle, O’Connor; Pearson, Gallagher; Barkhuizen, Browne, Robinson; Mavdidi.

Subs: Horgan 67 (for Robinson), Johnson 72 (for Gallagher), Browne 81 (for Harrop).

Not used: Rudd, Clarke, Pringle, Welsh.

Referee: Simon Hooper