Bristol’s Ashton Gate was a cauldron of nerves and noise on May 3, 2025, as Bristol City clawed their way to a 2-2 draw against Preston North End, securing a Championship play-off berth for the first time since 2008. Preston, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief, their point enough to confirm safety in the second tier. It was a match that swung like a pendulum, with both sides staring down the barrel before snatching what they needed.
Preston came out swinging, defying their 20th-place perch. Just before the half-hour mark, Emil Riis rose above the Robins’ defense to nod in a pinpoint Robbie Brady corner, sending the away fans into a frenzy. The visitors’ grit was palpable—they hadn’t won in eight games, and relegation loomed like a dark cloud. Then, on the hour, Milutin Osmajic doubled their lead, coolly slotting past Max O’Leary after a razor-sharp pass from Ben Whiteman sliced Bristol’s backline open. At 2-0, Preston looked set to spoil the party, and Bristol’s play-off dreams were teetering.
But Ashton Gate doesn’t go quiet easily. Bristol City, spurred by a roaring sell-out crowd, found their fight. Ross McCrorie, a name now etched in Robins lore, pulled one back in the 69th minute, bulleting a header from a looping cross that caught Preston napping. Five minutes later, he struck again, latching onto a sublime Jason Knight pass and finishing with the kind of nerve that defines big moments. The stadium erupted, a red-and-white haze of flares and hope. Knight nearly won it, his rocket of a shot rattling the crossbar, but the 2-2 scoreline held.
The final whistle didn’t bring immediate clarity. Bristol’s players huddled around striker Harry Cornick’s phone, tracking updates from Sheffield United’s clash with Blackburn Rovers. A Blackburn goal could’ve flipped the script, but when word came that Rovers drew, the pitch became a sea of celebration. Bristol finished sixth, two points clear of seventh-placed Blackburn, and now face Sheffield United in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg at home on May 8. Preston, buoyed by Luton’s 5-3 loss at West Brom, ended 20th, safe by a whisker.
It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t easy. Bristol’s recent form—thumped 4-0 by Leeds on April 28—had fans chewing their nails. Preston, winless in their last seven, were no pushovers despite their slump. Both sides had history against them: Bristol won just one of their last nine final-day games, while Preston’s away record on the last day was dismal, with one victory in 13. Yet, in the clutch, McCrorie’s brace and Preston’s stubbornness delivered.
The scenes post-match were raw. Fans stormed the pitch, bear-hugging players. Manager Liam Manning and his six-year-old son, Isaac, soaked up the love from the South Stand’s hardcore Section 82, fist-pumping like they’d won the league. For Preston, it was quieter relief—no champagne, just the knowledge they’d live to fight another Championship day.
Bristol City’s play-off spot is their highest league finish since 2007-08. Preston’s survival marks their lowest points tally going into the final game since 2010-11, when they last faced relegation. The Championship’s final day delivered drama, and both teams got their prize.