Preston North End fans may have spent most of pre-season worrying about the lack of bodies in central midfield but worry no more. Despite a second consecutive 0-0 opener at Deepdale the Lilywhites fans will have gone home happy with what they saw in central areas. Carter and Nicholls are the new men charged with dominating the middle of the park, both players new arrivals and both on this display plenty to offer the new Simpson regime.

The duo dominated the centre of the park and were involved in their own personal battle to collect the man of the match award. Nicholls probably edged it due to his willingness to take a blast at goal, twice denied, finding the post and the sidenetting in the second half, Carter though had his own chance just before the break but he dragged his shot four yards wide when Ormerod had played a clever flick into his path.

As it was it was Neil Mellor who collected the sponsors' man of the match award, the former Liverpool man had an industrious and workmanlike display alongside Ormerod in attack but was frustratingly denied the clear opportunities a striker of his potential craves.

Perhaps the best chance of the match came in the dying seconds of the game. The Lilywhites had hailed in a flurry of crosses and corners as Norwich's Marshall in goal looked more and more uncomfortable, the final ball came from Alexander and his delivery to the backpost cut Marshall out of the equation and Pugh just couldn't get enough purchase on the ball to divert it home.

Simpson sprung a few surprises in the team selection. Liam Chilvers was a virtual ever-present in the starting line-up last season but the manager couldn't even find a place on the bench for the former Colchester United man, Matt Hill was another who couldn't force his way into the starting eleven, the PNE Player of the Year missed out after Callum Davidson retained his place in the side at left-back.

PNE's two other pre-season signings, Hawley and Jones had to settle for place on the bench.

North End started well and created a couple of half-chances in the opening exchanges but it wasn't until the 9th minute that the crowd were off their seat. Nicholls had been busy and it was he who crafted the first chance when he curled a ball down the channel and in behind Doherty, Mellor looked to be on to it but he lost his footing at the vital time and though the crowd appealed for penalty the chance was gone.

The Canaries has employed Dion Dublin in a striking role and his big physical presence offered plenty of problems for North End's defence. On 24 minutes the big striker powered a header towards goal from a Simon Lappin cross but it was well wide.

Marshall never looked comfortable under a cross and that meant that he was in for a testing afternoon as both Nicholls and Pugh were right on the money on their delivery from corners. On the half hour mark Marshall could only parry a Pugh corner into the mixer and Mellor's header briefly looked goalbound.

Dion Dublin was putting himself about the place in typical targetman style but two minutes before the break he overstepped the mark when he planted a forearm smash into the face of Callum Davidson. Whether it was intentional or not, the referee was left with no opportunity but to show Dublin the first yellow card of what had been a pretty tame first half.

From the resultant free-kick Darren Carter almost marked his debut with a goal. Henderson bashed the ball deep into Canaries territory and Ormerod played a clever flick into the path of the new midfield man, Carter took it in his stride and drilled a low shot that finished just five yards wide.

The first half was just fizzling out when Mellor once again had the crowd off their seat claiming penalty. Nicholls dinked a ball in behind and as Mellor looked to nod the ball past Shackell the ball looked to have hit the defender's arm but despite the cries of the crowd and this time the players, the referee was having none of it.

Carter almost profited from some indecisive Norwich defending after the break. Twice Marshall blasted the ball at the rangy midfielder in the penalty box but twice the ball fell kindly for the Canaries.

Mellor was again involved in the thick of the action on 64 minutes, he collected a Whaley ball just on the edge of the D and hit a shot straight at goal, Marshall was in the right place at the right moment to easily deal with the ball.

One minute later and Nicholls provided an effort which half of the ground thought had ended up in the back of the net, even more fans would have cried goal if the Pavilion Stand had still been up. Simon Whaley had been clattered from behind right on the edge of the box and Nicholls stepped up to curl an effort around the wall but it made the side-netting bulge rather than the back of the net.

Eight minutes before the end of the game and Nicholls' sights were getting keener, this time he curled an effort from 30-yards out and it clipped the outside of the post with Marshall rooted to the spot.

Mellor had another chance as North End cranked up the pressure, Whaley getting to the touchline and whipping a cross into the six-yard box, Mellor's header looped over the bar.

The Canaries were flapping at that point and what many might see as Preston's best chance of the game came when Nicholls' hit a low corner into the six-yard box and all it needed was a touch from any North End player, Sean St. Ledger came nearest but it was he who fell over the line rather than the ball.

It was huff and it was puff but they just couldn't blow the Norwich house down, and when Pugh's chance came in the last breaths of the game it was almost inevitable that it would not end up in the back of the net.

This time last season North End drew 0-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, but Simpson is confident that PNE are stronger than at the same point last season and though the scoreline was the same, all but the most hardline pessimist can deny that Preston looked on good form.