Preston North End Secures Victory Against Sheffield Wednesday
Milutin Osmajic marked his return from a nine-game suspension by scoring as Preston North End defeated Championship bottom side Sheffield Wednesday, ending a four-match winless streak at Deepdale.
Osmajic, who received the suspension in November for racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, found the top corner to extend Preston's lead in the second half.
Ali McCann opened the scoring with his first goal of the season before halftime, and substitute Lewis Dobbin sealed a comfortable victory with a third goal late in the game.
After three consecutive 1-1 draws at Deepdale and a defeat against Wrexham on Monday, Paul Heckingbottom's side has climbed back into the playoff positions.
Despite drawing 10 games this season, Preston is just four points behind second-placed Ipswich, reflecting the inconsistency of teams at the top of the table.
If Preston aims to seriously contend for promotion, January is poised to be a crucial month for the team.
The Lilywhites will visit eighth-placed Bristol City on Sunday and face top-five teams Hull City, Middlesbrough, and Ipswich Town in the coming weeks.
With Montenegro striker Osmajic back in the lineup, the team is optimistic about converting more draws into victories.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday, still awaiting confirmation of a takeover, remains 32 points adrift of safety and is already preparing for life in League One.
The Owls' only league win this season came in September, and their winless streak has now reached 18 matches.
Preston's performance was deserving of the victory, and they could have won by a larger margin.
Northern Ireland international McCann, who had not scored since October 2024, displayed remarkable confidence in his goal.
Jamal Lewis intercepted a pass from Dominic Iorfa and delivered the ball to the edge of the box, where McCann's first touch allowed him to break through and finish low past goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
Charles kept the score at 1-0 with a superb double save from McCann and Alfie Devine, and he made another excellent stop to deny Devine after Osmajic's goal.
The Owls, who have managed only 18 goals this season, came closest to scoring when Daniel Iversen thwarted Bailey Cadamarteri's header, which was their only shot on target.