Alex Neil says PNE were the better team in their defeat to Fulham

The Lilywhites went down to a 2-1 loss, the visitors scoring their winner in the 91st minute.

Aleksander Mitrovic netted both Fulham goals, the on-loan striker seemingly having the sign over North End after scoring four times against them previously for Newcastle United.

Sean Maguire's fourth goal in three games had pulled North End level and Neil felt the least his side deserved was a point.

PNE boss Neil said: "I don't think the best team won the game for a start.

"People talk about Fulham being the best team in the division, that they should be a Premier League team, how they play and how they move the ball.

"I thought we stopped all of that, I thought we were the better side throughout the game with more chances and the better chances.

"My team were brilliant, I thought they were great.

"The only frustrating thing we had was for how many good opportunities and how much ball we had at the top end of the pitch, we needed to hurt them a bit more.

"Our naivety at the end has probably cost us at the end.

"I'm critical of my team when I don't think they play well or follow instruction but today they did everything we spoke about extremely well, it was that just extra bit of quality you need to put teams to bed when you are on top which was missing."

Fulham took the lead in the 69th minute as Mitrovic struck home a cross from Cyrus Christie.

Maguire met a Ben Pearson cross to head the equaliser seven minutes later and North End seemed destined for a share of the spoils.

But they allowed Fulham to take a quick throw-in with the contest in added-on time, Tom Cairney putting the ball over for Mitrovic to head past Declan Rudd.

Neil said: "We switched off from the throw-in, it was the 91st minute of the game and we were too busy arguing with our ourselves rather than getting ourselves organised.

"That is disappointing because we should have been getting back into our shape, getting ready, make sure we defend our box from the throw-in.

"We were also highly unfortunate in that Ben Davies slipped in the box as the ball comes in as Mitrovic peels away to the back area.

"Sometimes you don't get what you deserve and that happened today.

"I had fancied us to go and win it right from minute one, I thought were excellent and played really well.

"We moved the ball well, tackled well, ran well, everything you expect from Preston we did."