Middlesbrough 1 Preston North End 1: Mowbray bemoans Boro's failure to kill off rock-bottom Preston

Boro dominated against their rock-bottom visitors and looked on their way to three points after captain Matthew Bates finally fired them ahead in the 70th minute.

But Billy Jones scrambled a late equaliser for Preston, bundling the ball over the line to secure a draw at the Riverside Stadium.

"That hurts," said Mowbray, despite his team having now gone five matches unbeaten in the league.

"It feels like a defeat – worse if that's possible.

"It is bitterly disappointing because that second half was as good as we have played since I came here and we had two really good chances to kill the game.

"We had an excellent second half and that is exactly how we want to be playing as a team, that is what we are striving for.

"But that sounds hollow because at the end of the day we have only taken one point from a team we really should have beaten.

"We created enough chances to comfortably score two or three goals but if you don't kill teams off, if you don't stick the ball in the net, then you are always vulnerable.

"That's a few times now we have let it slip late on and the frailties are still there but we are heading in the right direction."

Preston assistant Brian Horton – standing in for manager Phil Brown who had lost his voice – admitted the visitors had 'got out of jail' but insisted the spirit on show augured well in their battle for survival.

"We've dragged something out of that game when it never looked like we would," said Horton.

"That shows a real spirit and that's the one way to get out of the situation we are in now.

"Our 'keeper (Andrew Lonergan) has been brilliant for us. He was disappointed with the goal but he has made a fantastic save to keep us in it after that. He rescued a point for us.

"We kept battling and got the late goal and that's the kind of spirit we need. Getting something in games like this does wonders for belief and confidence.

"We have some good players here and if we can show that determination and spirit we can get out of this."

Middlesbrough: Steele, McMahon, Bates, Hines, Bennett, Robson (Arca 46), O'Neil, Bailey, Taylor, Boyd (Emnes 62), Lita. Unused substitutes: Ripley, Miller, Grounds, Smallwood, Park.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones,

St Ledger, Cort, Morgan, McLaughlin, Nicholson, Russell (Barton 74), Parry, Hume (Mayor 70), Hayes (Ellington 55). Unused substitutes: Arestidou, Wayne Brown, Douglas, Carter.

Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire).