Freddie Draper snatched a late winner for Lincoln City in a 1-0 win at Deepdale to leave Preston North End struggling near the foot of the Championship table.

Chances had been scarce for both sides, with the hosts unlucky not to go in front before Draper struck as Preston's Alfie Devine hit the crossbar directly from a corner and Jordan Storey had his follow-up effort cleared off the line in the second half.

Draper ensured the visitors made the most of those let offs, meeting a long throw from Andrei Coubis to head home his first Championship goal for the club after helping them to promotion from League One last season.

The defeat was Preston's sixth in seven league games this season and leaves them second bottom and just above Burnley on goal difference after the Clarets were beaten 3-1 at Swansea.

With Lincoln being the division's lowest scorers and Preston similarly struggling to find the back of the net in the early weeks of the season, the first meeting between the two sides for more than 27 years did not promise a lot of goalmouth action.

And chances in the first half were unsurprisingly limited, with the best chance being a low ball across the face of goal from Devine that Johnny Kenny was just inches away from turning home.

It was not until the 54th minute that Conor McGrandles tested home goalkeeper Daniel Iversen for the first time, with the Dane doing well to push the ball away from Ben House as he followed up the shot.

It seemed that the game was headed for a stalemate when Devine hit the woodwork and Storey was denied in quick succession, but Draper managed to come up with a decisive moment from a long throw that was earned after Chiedozie Ogbene called Iversen into action.

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It was no surprise in terms of how difficult that game was and the pattern of the game. We are really frustrated that 90 per cent of the time their threats, because we limited the number of corners and set-plays, we did deal with them.

"But it's ultimately their biggest weapon and while we are not getting in front, they are going to have their opportunities with counter-attacks and set-plays.

"The only way to stop that noise (sounds of boos from some fans) at the end of the game is to win games.

"There is no lack of effort, I get that, but we are not the ones forcing the big moments to go our way."

Lincoln City joint head coach Tom Shaw told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:

"We wanted our lads to be a bit more calm, a bit more confident in possession, which we did.

"We don't ever want to indulge, we don't want to be that football team. We want to threaten the goal from everywhere but there are games, and we are learning that maybe a bit more away from home, that we need to have bit more of the ball if we can and it's the right thing to do.

"[Possession] is the stat we probably look at last. When we are reflecting on the game, it's more the feel of the game, and we just didn't want to give the ball back too easy today because they have some real quality player that will hurt you, like Alfie Devine, if you get it wrong.

"So we wanted to be in charge of some situations, which we did brilliantly in the first half when we got into good areas where we could have been a bit better and bit more aggressive around the goal. But that stuff will come. And then we had our aggressive moment in the penalty area in the second half that decided the game."