There was almost an air of inevitability about the manner in which Bristol City's play-off hopes were rendered still more tenuous by their latest Ashton Gate stalemate.

Virtually unstoppable in their own backyard last season, the Robins have since found home comforts considerably harder to come by.

So much so that even when Nicky Maynard gave the home side a precious lead early in the second half, City supporters still half expected Preston to stage a recovery.

Sure enough, Frenchman Youl Mawene popped up to equalise 20 minutes from time and the Lilywhites became the 11th team to leave Ashton Gate with a point this season.

Ultimately, it is those drawn games on home soil which threaten to cost City any chance they might have had of contesting the Championship play-offs for a second successive year.

Goal-scorer Maynard admitted as much when he said: "We need Ashton Gate to be a fortress for us and that just hasn't been the case.

"You can always look back and be wise with hindsight, but there's no getting away from the fact that we've drawn too many games at home.

"Teams have to win a majority of their home games if they want to be promoted and we haven't managed that this season.

"It's a fine line between success and failure in this league and our results at home have let us down too often. If we don't make it into the play-offs, it will be the biggest single reason why not."

Maynard's 11th goal of the campaign prompted an all too familiar scenario. City failed to kill off opponents who were there for the taking and were then punished for a crucial lapse in concentration.

It was bad enough that Bradley Orr needlessly conceded a corner when he had time and space in which to clear his lines. But his error was compounded when Dele Adebola failed to track Mawene at the resultant set piece and left the Frenchman free to volley an equaliser which all but ends City's slim play-off prospects.

Maynard best summed up the mood in the home dressing room: "This result feels more like a defeat. We needed to win the game to stay in the hunt and give ourselves a chance and we haven't been able to do that.

"It's frustrating, because we're not holding onto the lead in games when we score first and we're being punished for silly mistakes.

"We should have gone on to win the game after I scored, instead of which we've lost concentration for a split second and paid the price."

Manager Gary Johnson described this Sky-televised tea-time fixture as a "cup final" and demanded a performance to match. For the most part, his team obliged, setting a high tempo from the outset, attacking in numbers and presenting a meaningful threat up front.

But, as has so often been the case in recent weeks, City proved unable to convert chances into the hard currency of goals.

No one was more culpable than Adebola, who directed his close-range header over the cross bar when scoring appeared an easier task.

Similarly, Maynard was wayward when afforded a clear sight of goal by livewire winger Ivan Sproule.

Adebola further blotted his copybook when meeting Michael McIndoe's cross with a header which sailed high and wide.

Preston were guilty of profligacy in equal measure, big Jon Parkin producing an embarrassing air shot after being set-up by strike partner Stephen Elliott and then, when he did manage to make contact, shooting wide of a gaping target.

Earlier misdemeanours were both forgotten and forgiven when Maynard broke the deadlock 13 minutes into the second period. Out of contract at the end of the season and watched by a posse of scouts, Adebola barrelled his way past Billy Jones and delivered a pin-point cross which rendered straightforward the header which brought the rising Maynard his 11th goal since signing from Crewe last summer.

It was a well-crafted goal worthy of winning any match. That it failed to yield three points was due entirely to City's habit of losing concentration at key moments and conceding soft goals.

Preston boss Alan Irvine will argue, with some justification, that his team's performance warranted a point. But he will also be the first to admit Mawene was gifted the equaliser on a plate.

Thereafter, the counter-attacking visitors might have gone on to win the game, most notably when Elliott's shot grazed a post and Parkin's long-range effort beat Adriano Basso but flew inches too high.

In the final analysis, the Lilywhites had more reason to be satisfied with the outcome than a City side which remains too far off the pace with five games remaining to harbour any real hope of repeating last season's march to Wembley.

Bristol City (4-4-2): Basso; Orr, McCombe, Fontaine, McAllister; Sproule (sub Williams 85), Johnson (sub Elliott 90), Skuse, McIndoe; Adebola, Maynard (sub Trundle 90).

Preston (4-4-2): Lonergan; Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Nolan; Sedgwick, McKenna, Williamson (sub Carter 83), Wallace; Parkin, Elliott.

Referee: Tony Bates (Staffs)

Attendance: 16,596