'If they don't want to follow suit then move on' - Ryan Lowe sends scathing message to Preston North End players after Sheffield United defeat

In a must win game, PNE did not turn up and were deservedly on the receiving end of a heavy loss. Anel Ahmedhodžić headed the hosts into the lead in the second but Liam Delap, a half time sub, got his side back on level terms just past the hour mark.

It took the Blades only 10 minutes to restore their lead, John Fleck making it two and Iliman Ndiaye making it three just three minutes after. Oli McBurnie volleyed home a fourth in the fifth minute of added time for the Yorkshire side who were promoted to the Premier League on Wednesday and were able to carry on their celebrations.

The defeat means Preston’s play-off chase is now over, as they’re mathematically unable to catch sixth, with one game to go in their season.

Lowe cut a determined and frustrated figure speaking after the game and did not hold back, questioning whether his players will be staying on at the club if they perform as they did at Bramall Lane.

He said: “We had the opportunity today, I felt, to get a result. We had an opportunity to keep pushing on and we sort of folded. We conceded sloppy goals, the last two goals were embarrassing really.

"Emotions are high but I've just said to the boys in there that if they don't want to follow suit then move on. I'm not hanging around to take a bang average team through the division.

"I need a team of men, a team of good quality players, a team of players who are going to do what I ask them to do, which they've done for large parts of the season. But when you fold the way we folded there, it's disappointing and I've addressed that with the players.

"They have to dust themselves down, they'll be in this week and then go again. Because if they don't perform through the week in training and don't show me an attitude, they won't play. It's as simple as that.”

PNE switched to a four at the back system in the second half in their hunt for goals to get themselves the win, which was the only thing that would give then a chance of a top six spot, but it left them open to the Blades’ attacks.

Lowe was displeased with the way his side defended and felt they could have done better.

He said: “I'm disappointed, I wanted to take it to the last game of the season to at least give ourselves a chance. In the first half I felt we were easy and didn't really go for it. We got into some good areas at the top end of the pitch and it fizzled out.

"In the second half we made a change because we needed to go for it and there was a goal for us, which we thought there would be. We got that and then when we're on top we can't just fold the way we did. We can't get done by the counter attacks the way we did.

"They've got good players, we know that, we've got to defend from behind the ball. I'm disappointed. At 1-1 we had a chance to potentially get another and when you give a quality team like Sheffield United those types of chances, they punish you.

"They're the second best team in the division. I'm disappointed with how the goals have gone in and how we've defended from front to back. When you defend like that it's hard to not concede goals.”