Leeds United 1, Preston North End 0

GOALKEEPERS took centre stage but for vastly different reasons as Leeds struggled to overcome Preston's 10 men and escaped with a 1-0 win.

Alan Browne's headed own goal just after the interval gifted United their third victory in four games after Preston had keeper Jordan Pickford sent off in the 30th minute.

Referee Gavin Ward made the decision after Pickford charged into striker Chris Wood and handled just outside the box.

It meant a debut for 17-year-old Matt Hudson, Preston's fourth-choice keeper, who should have been put under more pressure.

Home keeper Marco Silvestri was in magnificent form, completing crucial saves from Paul Gallagher, Will Keane, Joe Garner, substitute Neil Kilkenny (twice) and Marnick Vermijl to pile on the frustration for Preston's former Leeds manager Simon Grayson on his return to Elland Road.

Grayson was critical of the sending-off and is considering appealing against Pickford's one-match ban. He said: "We will look at the footage and may appeal. That one moment turned the game.

"We started well and their keeper made some vital saves. Then the referee made a decision which he thought was the right one by sending Jordan Pickford off.

"But my keeper said the ball hit him in the chest area and he had his hands in the air. It was an important part of the game and the decision cost us.

"Officials have a tough job. I don't normally criticise referees but he didn't have the best of days. I was a bit frustrated by some of our bookings too.

"But I was proud that we looked better with 10 men than they did with 11. Their keeper was man of the match, which speaks volumes."

Leeds head coach Steve Evans was full of praise for Silvestri, saying: "I can't speak highly enough of him. He is a top-class keeper who is encouraged every day to make the kind of saves that can make him a firm favourite here.

"That's three wins out of four and four games unbeaten – but we are not getting carried away. It was always going to be tough because Preston don't concede many goals. "

On the dismissal of Pickford, Evans confessed: "At first I thought their keeper headed the ball but the analyst said it was handball – the top of the arm. It was a clear sending-off. The referee and his assistants got it right.

"I was pleased with the result because Preston had more recovery time than us (Leeds won at Wolves on Thursday night), so we had to deliver a performance full of grit.

"Ten men tend to throw caution to the wind, so Preston deserve credit for that, but we became scrappy and too many passes went astray. There are days when you have to grind out results and we did."