Yakou Meite struck in stoppage time as relegation-battling Cardiff snatched a point from a 2-2 draw at Preston.

Stefan Thordarson’s 72nd-minute header looked like giving Preston victory in a tight contest, but in the fourth of five minutes added on at Deepdale, Meite got on the end of fellow substitute Alex Robertson’s cross to head in a potentially vital goal for the Bluebirds.

Milutin Osmajic had given Preston a first-half lead before on-loan Leicester midfielder Will Alves came off the bench to level for Cardiff early in the second half with his first Bluebirds goal.

Preston stretched their unbeaten home run to 14 games but there were boos at the full-time whistle as Cardiff celebrated a point that extends their unbeaten run to four matches.

Preston had the ball in the net in the 10th minute after Cardiff made a mess of clearing Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s cross, but Will Keane was offside when Ben Whiteman slipped the ball through.

The breakthrough came in the 20th minute. Mads Frokjaer played an angled ball forward and neither Dimitrios Goutas nor Jesper Daland could prevent it from reaching Osmajic, who rifled in his 14th of the season.

Osmajic was the focal point. The Montenegrin appeared to be through on goal again when Ryan Porteous launched the ball forward but a poor touch allowed Ethan Horvath to gather.

Moments later Keane crossed from the right but a sliding Will Fish got a toe to it before Osmajic, stretching for the loose ball, turned it wide.

Cardiff barely laid a glove on Preston before the half-time whistle was greeted with boos from the travelling fans. Omer Riza heard them, swapping defender Goutas for Alves at the break, and his presence would soon be felt.

Having already created one chance for Colwill, Alves brought Cardiff level in the 52nd minute. The 19-year-old burst forward from his own half, slipping the ball to Yousef Salech and then taking it back to hit a shot that took a nick off Whiteman on its way in.

Further chances followed for Cian Ashford and Calum Chambers before Osmajic hit the outside of a post at the other end with the game opening up.

Both managers made attacking substitutions with 20 minutes to go, and Preston’s quickly paid off. Emil Riis, just on, shifted the ball wide to Frokjaer, and Thordarson found himself free in front of goal to nod in the cross.

Preston should have settled down but instead there was a bizarre moment as Osmajic dribbled towards his own goal with a heavy touch offering Callum Robinson hope, and Osmajic was lucky to avoid conceding a free-kick and a potential red card as he barged him over.

That offered Cardiff hope and their reward came at the death through Meite’s third goal of the season.