'Has baffled me' - Ryan Lowe furious after Preston North End lose late at Leeds United

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe was left livid by the decision to award Leeds United an injury time penalty on Sunday.

The Lilywhites took the lead after 65 seconds in Yorkshire, through Will Keane, but ended up falling to a cruel 2-1 defeat. Daniel James headed home a quickfire equaliser, but North End looked well set for a point as the game drew to a close.

That was until the ball bounced up and struck the hand of Preston substitute Ryan Ledson. David Webb pointed straight to the spot and up stepped Leeds sub Joel Piroe, to rifle the ball down the middle and nick all three points for Daniel Farke's side.

Post-match, the furious PNE boss said: "Gutted is an understatement. I am gutted for the boys, I thought they were terrific in everything they did - coming to Elland Road and going toe-to-toe, when not many people would've expected us to do that, or win. We were in the ascendency for getting a result, until a decision which has baffled me. Some of the decisions all game baffled me really, because they were very inconsistent.

"If you are going to give one silly foul, you've got to give them all and to be done by a penalty decision where it's hit his body first and rolled up. It is in a natural position and yeah, it's tough to take but that's football isn't it? It shouldn't have been given. The lads were excellent and I have just told them in there to be proud. We cannot dwell on it. You see there, it's a foul on Alan Browne on the edge of the box and it rolls up on to his hand. I don't know where his hand is meant to be. But anyway, the performance all game today was fantastic.

"We've got to use that as a motivation for next week, to continue, because we are not going to get no help. We've already had apologies throughout the season, for decisions which should've gone our way - whether it is red cards or penalties. So, if we want any luck we will have to earn it ourselves. They were excellent from start to finish. Without their penalty, I think we are on par with them in the xG department.

"We knew we had to be fast out of the traps and get the ball in behind. I thought it was a great game, with both teams really at it and a fair result would've been 1-1. But, we were undone by a decision. I will harp on about it as long as I can, but the decision has cost us. I have got no fault in the boys. With all their quality and firepower and everything they have got, it took a penalty to break us down in the last couple of minutes.

"That is the disappointing thing. I have got to be careful what I say, but I am going to go and see him. I am going to wait for him and have a chat with him. And he is a good guy Webby, normally decent enough. It wasn't just me complaining about some fouls and yellow cards, it was their manager too."

On his triple substitution with 20 minutes to go, Lowe said: "It's not easy, coming to Elland Road is it? You have to see the changes they are making, with them on the front foot and in the ascendency. The crowd is a big factor in it, the 12th man. Wow, I couldn't hear myself speak at one point. And we wanted to get fresh legs on and break the play up a little bit. But, I am sitting here talking about how good we were and substitutions; the big factor is we've been done by a decision which shouldn't have been given.

"We back ourselves to win, first and foremost but we knew we were up against a good team and you can't be foolish. We obviously had two tens (after the subs) and if we could get them out, and get Layton up the pitch a bit, there would've been opportunities for us definitely. Would I have been content with a point and would we have taken it? 100 per cent, because you'd have taken four points off a team that is probably going to go back to the Premier League. It wasn't to be."