NORTH End came away from Highfield Road with a hard earned point after twice going behind to the former Premiership club.

Preston went behind after just three mniutes to a 20-yard rocket shot from fromer Liverpool player David Thomson.

But it could have been a lot more if not for the antics of referee Mr Taylor who could not have been more one-sided if he had been wearing a Sky Blue shirt.

North End had only to sneeze to concede a free-kick while every bad tackle from a robust Coventry side seemed to go unpunished.

Coventry took the lead in the third minute when former Liverpool player David Thompson let fly from just outside the area and Teppi had no chance.

North End immediately hit back and Mark Rankine soon sent veteran keeper Andy Goram at full stretch to save his effort.

They could have equalised on 28 minutes when Rankine put a lovely ball through to David Healy but the former Manchester United hit his shot wide.

McKenna then hit just wide before Goram clattered Healy.

After several minutes on the ground Healy tried to struggle on but was replaced by Richard Cresswell on 37 minutes.

It was Chris Lucketti who put North End back into the game when he headed home from a Graham Alexander cross.

David Thompson was always a threat, though, for the home side and had Teppi at full stretch with a 20 yard shot. Jon Macken then wasted two glorious chances which he will be embarassed to have missed.

On 73 minutes it was Thompson again who let loose to set the North End net bulging with another superb strike.

But minutes later Richard Creswell netted from a Sean Gragan cross to rescue a point for North end.

The performance of Preston proves once and for all that they have nothing to fear this season.

RESULT: Coventry City... 2 Preston North End... 2