Paul Heckingbottom makes frank Preston North End admission after Leeds United draw

Boss Paul Heckingbottom has spoken of his frustration after his Preston North End team were denied a win at home to Leeds United.

The Lilywhites looked on course to secure back-to-back Championship wins thanks to Brad Potts' 23rd minute opener. But the Whites left it late to salvage a point, with Jack Whatmough turning Daniel James' low cross into his own net under pressure from substitute Mateo Joseph.

Former United chief Heckingbottom told Sky Sports: "It's tough to take. The effort from the players deserved more but I don't feel as bad as I have done with the other draws that we have had in recent weeks. Leeds are a good side and made lots of changes.

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"We kept adapting. I think we changed our shape four or five times to deal with them and we did. The biggest praise I can give our players is the way we defended our box. It was probably going to take a goal like that for them to score.

"But they kept going and Daniel [Farke] made a lot of changes. There were a lot of attacking players on the pitch. In terms of the defenders, we defended our box extremely well and that's why it is frustrating."

The hosts deservedly led at the break as Potts fired home after a superb North End counter attack. "It was an element of Leeds' play that we felt we could exploit," said Heckingbottom. "We got a lot of things right.

"None of the top 10 have beaten us so that shows what type of team we are and can be but we also know we haven't got the rewards when we have been the best team. Today, I will take the point as Leeds threw everything at us and got themselves back in the game.

"It was a pleasing day for me. We got lots of things right, just the timing of the goal makes it feel worse."