Patrick Agyemang fires Derby County to vital away win against Preston North End

American-Ghanaian striker Patrick Agyemang struck a late winner as Derby County edged Preston North End 1–0 at Deepdale in the Championship.Leading the line in a 4-2-3-1, Agyemang decided a tight contest on 82 minutes, arriving in the box to finish clinically after fine work from Ben Brereton Díaz on the left.Derby had shaded the better chances throughout, generating the higher expected goals and peppering Preston’s goal with 18 shots to the hosts’ 13, but were made to wait for their breakthrough. The visitors’ pressure finally told when Brereton Díaz drove at the defence and squared for Agyemang, who steered home what proved to be the only goal.The result lifts Derby further from mid-table traffic and extends a solid run of league form, responding well to recent setbacks against Leeds and Wrexham.Agyemang’s strike continues an impressive 2025/26 Championship campaign in which he has now made 23 appearances, scoring 7 goals and providing 3 assists. Derby quickly turn their focus to their next league outing, an away trip to Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Tuesday, 20 January, as they push to climb closer to the playoff places.