'I am an adult, a dad' - Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe addresses striker's assault of woman

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe will leave the football club to deal with young striker Finlay Cross-Adair, who has been sentenced to a community order after admitting he assaulted a woman - causing actual bodily harm.

Cross-Adair has been handed an 18-month community order, after pleading guilty at Preston Crown Court this week. It has been reported that the 19-year-old - in a Spain hotel last summer - kicked the woman to her face and caused a cut lip. He was ordered to complete a "building better relationships" programme: 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

The assault took place on May 26, 2023 and the teenager was later charged with a total of eight offences – six counts of assault, one of stalking and one of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour. Cross-Adair has only recently returned to training, having undergone rehabilitation following a serious crash on the A6 near Lancaster last October.

A club representative said: "We note and fully respect the court's decision and we will be making no further comment until we have had time to communicate with our employee." PNE boss Lowe did not have a great deal to add to that on Thursday morning, but did condemn the incident.

"Well, I don't condone any stuff like that, of course," said Lowe. "I am an adult; a dad. What I will say is that the club has made a statement on it and I will just stick to the statement and let the club deal with it. I suppose it is tough all round when stuff like that happens. I don't like it.

"They are tough decisions, aren't they? We have to respect what the court has done and said and what they have charged him with. But, ultimately it is a club decision and I will leave that down to the club hierarchy to deal with."

Cross-Adair debuted for his boyhood club, aged 17, against Stoke City in October 2022. He is under contract until the summer of 2025 at Deepdale, having signed a two-and-a-half year deal with PNE prior to his first team bow.