Good point for Norwich after they turn up at 8:00 for a 7:45 kickoff

I mean, we could talk all morning about what went wrong in the first 15 minutes and ruminate on why City turned up 15 minutes late for kick-off but let's instead focus on what went right between minutes 16 and 94.

First things first ... I'm not sure the NCFC classes of 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 had it in them to recover from two-goal deficits. There may be examples - albeit one doesn't spring to mind - but after last night's horror start, we ended the game disappointed not to have won it. T

And that says something about the journey this group is on under Johannes Hoff Thorup.

We know that they are technically proficient, or at least aim to be, as it's that which underpins this Hoff-ball revolution, but until last night, their ability to dig deep and scrape out a result from a seemingly impossible situation had not been tested.

But it was. And they did.

In all honesty, it wasn't City's best night with the ball - even from minutes 16 to 94 - and nice football in the defensive and attacking thirds was all too often let down by a lack of incision in the final third, but what was impressive was the relentless way they plugged away in search of a way back into the game.

That Shane Duffy, our enfant terrible for most of the summer and early autumn, popped up with a quite brilliant equaliser added another layer of surreality to what was a weird old night.

Yet that equaliser was nothing more than City deserved.

Okay, so I guess we have to at least touch upon why it needed some heroics to salvage a point, and there's no escaping that George Long - behind whom I threw my full weight on Sunday after what I deemed some unfair criticism - was at fault for both goals.

Unfortunately, his rush of blood that led to the penalty set the tone for a terrible opening spell where City suffered in almost every way possible.

They were unable to handle Preseston's high energy, high tempo start, which flew in the face of JHT's comments at the pre-PNE presser where he spoke of the need for control of the ball and the need to not get drawn into 'chaotic' spells of play.

Well, this was chaos plus. Keystone cop football. No control, lost duels, misplaced passes, poor positioning, even poorer decision-making, and a lethargy that's normally seen on Sunday morning park football.

Long was, of course, culpable but he was far from alone in being off the pace and wayward in his decision-making. It was across the board. No one emerged from those opening 15 minutes with anything intact.

But then, at 2-0 down, it was as though JHT flicked a switch from the technical area and things suddenly started to happen as per the pre-match briefings.

Control was wrestled away from PNE, the game was played at a pace that enabled Kenny McLean to start dictating proceedings and the ball started to stick. And even though Preston still carried the occasional threat on the break, it became clear that the next goal would be City's.

They still found it difficult to find time and space in the attacking third though with North End more than happy to shut down any obvious routes to goal, which involved a concerted effort to push Borja Sainz out onto his much-less-lethal left foot.

All too often the final ball failed to produce an effort on goal and, in truth, it took Sainz drifting out to the right for something to happen. In the end, his drifting into the box unopposed and finding a clever finish to Kellen Fisher's cross was what provided City with that priceless 47th-minute lifeline.

Perfect timing. In that moment, the momentum shifted.

JHT and Glen Riddersholm had clearly made the call to go with a back three and wingbacks prior to the Sainz goal but stuck with it and were rewarded. Despite having a different shape, City still maintained control and still played the game at a tempo of their choosing.

Rarely did the game become 'chaotic' and for the most part it was City plugging away for an equaliser while PNE did all of the defensive things that worked for them in the first 46 minutes.

The addition of Kaide Gordon brought some balance to the right side of the pitch while Ante Crnac, who had a generally quiet night, struggled to deliver the same on the left.

But the addition of Gordon wasn't the only brave JHT call that paid dividends. With each passing substitution came a younger player, and each one contributed as if a seasoned veteran. This group is being very well coached - of that there is no doubt.

But City's plugging away was eventually rewarded, although few would have expected our saviour to be Duffy. Fair play to him though.

With licence granted to one of the three centre-backs to advance up the pitch, it was the Irishman who took the bull by the horns and surged unopposed into the PNE half before releasing Josh Sargent in the channel.

The old Duffy would have left it there and returned to his station but this new, energised version continued his run into the box and provided a finish that Sargent himself would have been proud of.

Yep, I was every bit as stunned as you. But it was wonderful.

That City couldn't go on and snatch a winner was a shame, but once level Paul Heckingbottom changed North End's shape and personnel, which saw them start to offer the kind of threat they did early on.

But it wasn't to be ... at either end.

So, another good point although, but for that rotten opening, it could easily have been three.

With Boro up next on Sunday, the spirit and tenacity of this group will be tested again. I just hope the feelgood factor that has been carefully nurtured by JHT, Riddersholm and Ben Knapper will extend to fans getting behind George Long, who looks almost certain to start.

Whatever our private thoughts on his worthiness as Angus's deputy, getting on his back for every perceived error isn't going to help him or those in front of him.

We've got this far because, like in 2018-19, we're united. Let's try and keep it that way, folks.

OTBC.