Ultimately , Bristol City were never destined to become the first Football League club to win promotion this season at Deepdale , even though they are inching ever closer . Swindon ’ s win over Peterborough meant Steve Cotterill will have to wait until Tuesday to finish the job of returning to the Championship , but almost as importantly they made sure Preston wouldn ’ t make any ground on them in the top two . Three points at Bradford on Tuesday will do the trick - only that standing in their way now . It would take something to go seriously awry for the Robins not to be returning to the second tier after a two-year absence , and they did their job well enough to prevent any late scares in the north west . Bristol City striker Aaron Wilbraham celebrates his 63rd minute goal against Preston at Deepdale . Preston ( 3-5-2 ) : Johnstone ; Clarke , King , Wright ; Humphrey ( Wiseman 84 ) , Welsh , Johnson , Gallagher , Laird ; Beckford ( Davies 90 ) , Garner ( Robinson 84 ) Subs not used : Stuckmann , Kilkenny , Woods , Little . Bristol City ( 3-5-2 ) : Fielding , Ayling , Flint , Williams ; Tavernier , K.Smith , Pack , Freeman ( Elliott 90 ) , Bryan ; Agard ( Emmanuel-Thomas 82 ) , Wilbraham . Subs not used : Richards , Cunningham , Osborne , Saville , Wagstaff . A six-minute rendition of ‘ F*** off Swindon Town , you are staying down ’ rang out of the gleeful away end at Deepdale - populated by 2,400 - as that return got ever closer . City had dispensed of their rivals on Tuesday night , hammering them 3-0 , and took great delight in revelling in their triumph . It was an afternoon whereby neither side played with any nerves - there are reasons why these two occupy the automatic promotion places - although lacking a fluidity you would perhaps expect . There was an illusion of this being an open game , but the two five-man midfields shattered that . Jermaine Beckford came closest for the hosts , his smart overhead kick just flying wide , while the out of sorts Daniel Johnson blasted way over . Joe Garner felt he should ’ ve been awarded a penalty after being clattered by Frank Fielding . Steve Cotterill , knowing results elsewhere dictated they could still clinch elevation by five o ’ clock , clearly put a rocket up his free scorers at the break . Before then they had threatened from free-kicks , managed to get into decent positions , but didn ’ t threaten nearly enough . Wilbraham got on the end of James Tavernier ’ s wicked cross from the right , but his shot was superbly tipped onto the bar by Sam Johnstone . Kieran Agard failed to stretch far enough to convert from two yards shortly afterwards . Preston were on the ropes , their biggest crowd in two years growing restless immediately after half-time . That was until Jermaine Beckford popped up , five yards out , to send Deepdale delirious just before the hour mark . Paul Gallagher picked up on lapse defending to take control of the situation inside the away box , firing across goal for Beckford to sweep beyond Fielding . At that stage , it took Simon Grayson ’ s side seven points ahead of MK Dons - drawing at Port Vale - in third . But they only managed to hold the lead for four minutes , Aden Flint intelligently flicking a header towards the middle of the six-yard box for Wilbraham to power home in front of the travelling band from the West Country , his 20th of the season . Grayson will be frustrated at the way in which his side switched off from a routine set piece . This could ’ ve been a day they made the title race very interesting indeed . As it was , Agard forced Johnstone into another decent save , diving down to his right to tip wide on the angle , as Cotterill ’ s side searched for a winner . That did not come , despite substitute Jay Emmanuel-Thomas ’ best efforts . The ice is stored away , but not for long .
Second-placed Preston hosted League One leaders Bristol City . Jermaine Beckford fired the home side into the lead in the 59th minute . Aaron Wilbraham equalised for Bristol City four minutes later .