Preston go top of Championship as Paul Gallagher penalty sinks Charlton

Preston moved to the top of the Championship table after Paul Gallagher scored from the penalty spot to give them victory at Charlton.

The visitors, who had refused Stoke permission to talk to their manager, Alex Neil, on the eve of the match, earned a hard-fought win when Gallagher, on as a substitute, converted the spot-kick after Jayden Stockley was fouled.

Charlton fought hard to the end of a bad-tempered match but remain in 10th place, with the defender Ben Purrington spurning a late chance to equalise after Declan Rudd failed to deal with a corner.

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Rudd was the first goalkeeper called into serious action, parrying an angled shot from Purrington after 16 minutes, and he was relieved when Conor Gallagher just failed to get a touch on a cross from the same player seconds later.

It took Preston 21 minutes to test the Charlton keeper Dillon Phillips, who got down quickly to block a close-range shot by Tom Barkhuizen at the far post after two defenders had failed to clear Darnell Fisher’s low cross from the left.

After 31 minutes, Gallagher replaced the injured Daniel Johnson, and the midfielder took over the armband and started to run the game as Neil’s side moved through the gears before half-time.

Sean Maguire should have done better after 39 minutes when Tom Lockyer’s slip allowed him a free run in from the left, but his final effort was a weak flick into the hands of Phillips. Maguire was wasteful again two minutes later, shooting high over the crossbar at the end of a quick Preston break before Barkhuizen, heading over unchallenged from Fisher’s cross.

Preston appealed for a penalty in the opening minutes of the second half when another cross by Fisher struck the raised arm of Jason Pearce. The visitors did get a penalty 10 minutes later, Pearce barging into Jayden Stockley as they challenged for a cross from the left.

Gallagher converted in trademark style, turning his back on goal before turning and thumping the kick hard and low below the dive of Phillips. Barkhuizen nearly doubled the lead when he slid in at the far post, but was just unable to turn home Gallagher’s corner.

Charlton’s Chuks Aneke just failed to connect with a curling free-kick from Josh Cullen after 82 minutes, but Preston went even closer to a second when Stockley headed narrowly over.

Barkhuizen ran clear in stoppage time only for Phillips to save, and Charlton almost made them pay in the 95th minute, but Purrington was unable to force the ball home amid a crowd of bodies.

West Brom can reclaim top spot on Monday night, when they travel to managerless Stoke.