The Carling Cup exit door flew wide open for Preston North End after this disappointing home defeat to struggling Derby.

North End had plenty of the ball at Deepdale last night but just could not produce that killer ball in the final third of the pitch.

There were four changes from the team that drew at Hillsborough, with Ross Wallace and Michael Hart looking likeliest to knock on the first-team door for Saturday.

We started brightly enough and passed the ball around crisply, but just couldn't break down a much-changed Derby side who had done their homework and snuffed out our attacks leaving the fans frustrated.

In the early part of the game, McKenna conducted the North End orchestra, but it was the visitors who named that tune in the 39th minute with a looping header from the inside-right position which gave Lonergan no chance.

Wallace and Sedgwick were getting plenty of the ball in the wide positions but just could not find a white shirt in the box.

The game started very evenly after the break and turned into a dour battle for the opening 20 minutes.

Wallace was our major threat, but time after time there was no joy in the Derby penalty area.

Whaley came on for Sedgwick, but to little effect, and although Chaplow had a header well saved by Roy Carroll near the end, it was too little, too late for a Preston side that looked like they could play until midnight and not score.

We are certainly in need of some more options up front. And although Mellor tried his heart out he is a scorer and not a creator.

I suppose it's easy to say there's not too much damage done, and that we wouldn't have won the Carling Cup.

But I don't think that Alan Irvine's mind works that way. He will be desperate to get back to winning ways on Saturday with a big, big game against Charlton.