Alex Neil left to count the cost of Preston North End’s back-to-back Deepdale defeats

The Lilywhites’ historic 5,000th league game was not the celebration hoped for, with Alex Neil’s men beaten on home turf for the second time in five days.

After being overtaken by Cardiff on Saturday, Derby leapfrogged them too.

Wayne Rooney scored the only goal in the late-afternoon kick-off, curling in a free-kick from 20 yards.

Although North End went on to see plenty of possession they created little in the way of goalscoring chances.

With only six games left of the season, they need an immediate turnabout in form to have any chance of forcing their way into the top six.

PNE Neil said: “It was again really frustrating. In the three games since we came back, I have said each time that from 18-yard box to 18-yard box we looked pretty good.

“But in both 18-yard boxes we have not done well enough to get what we wanted.

“I didn’t think this was a bad performance, there were spells in the first half when Derby moved the ball well and we had to go and hunt it.

“We actually hunted the ball quite well at times.

“In the second half we were good I thought, we controlled a lot of the play.

“There were a couple of times when Derby broke away but otherwise it was us who were threatening to get the next goal.

“But we couldn’t find that goal and that is what we all found frustrating.”

Neil made five changes to his starting line-up for the 
visit of the Rams.

Paul Huntington and Joe Rafferty came into the back four, that Huntington’s first game since December.

Paul Gallagher and Brad Potts returned to midfield and David Nugent led the attack.

Neil hinted at further changes for Saturday’s visit to Huddersfield, admitting 
Josh Harrop and Ryan Ledson had been unlucky not to 
start.

“My job is get results and if we don’t get results, I need to give others an opportunity,” said Neil.

“Josh Harrop did well when he came on and he was unlucky not to start.

“He didn’t start because Scott Sinclair had been looking threatening and I wanted Brad Potts in there and Gally coming in off that left side.

“Ryan Ledson has looked pretty bright since we came back and can count himself unlucky. They are certainly in my thoughts.

“I brought Ben Pearson off near the end just because we couldn’t afford to have any defensive-minded players on.

“I put Alan Browne back there knowing he could still be a threat.”