Derby County 2-0 Preston North End RECAP as Rams inflict defeat and take another step towards survival
Defeat on the road for PNE on Wednesday night
Preston North End were beaten 2-0 by Derby County, with quickfire goals scored by Craig Forsyth and Jerry Yates straight after the restart.
Against a Rams side scrapping for their lives and on the back of three successive wins, Wednesday night's trip to Pride Park never promised to be an easy assignment for the Lilywhites.
But it was Preston who settled into the contest quicker, and a glorious opportunity came the way of Milutin Osmajic inside three minutes - the Montenegrin could only fire straight at Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. Derby's only glimmer of an opening goal was Marcus Harness' steered volley wide.
However, after limiting the hosts to precious little in the first 45 minutes, John Eustace's men - whose focus on set-pieces had been clear - came out and blew North End away after the restart. Craig Forsyth squeezed home the opening goal after Preston failed to clear a corner, with 48 minutes on the clock.
Just four minutes later, another cross caused havoc and Jerry Yates was there to flick home from a yard after Nat Phillips' goal bound header.
PNE chief Paul Heckingbottom made four changes in the second half but a fight back never really looked on the cards from the away side - Ryan Ledson came closest to pulling one back but his curled effort was whipped just wide. Emil Riis then saw a strong penalty appeal waved away late in the day.
Attendance: 26,014 PNE starting XI: Cornell; Porteous, Lindsay, Gibson (Evans 74'), Kesler-Hayden, Thordarson (Whiteman 58'), Ledson, Meghoma (Brady 58'), Frokjaer, Keane (Riis 58'), Osmajic. PNE unused subs: Stowell, Storey, Hughes, Carroll, T. Mawene.