Fulham defeat frustrates PNE boss Grayson

The Lilywhites were beaten 2-1 by the Cottagers, a result which eased the visitors’ relegation fears.

Ross McCormack broke clear to put Fulham ahead in the fifth minute, a lead they held until the 64th minute when Marnick Vermijl fired a superb equaliser.

Fulham regained went back in front within 10 minutes, Moussa Dembele netting from close range after a McCormack free-kick had been pushed against the post by Anders Lindegaard.

North End boss Grayson said: “It was a frustrating night, sometimes in games you don’t get what you deserve - that was the case here.

“I thought we were the better team and created more chances.

“Fulham got the early goal which gave them something to hang on to.

“We passed the ball better in the second half scored the equaliser and there was only one side looking to go and win the game.

“It wasn’t helped by some of the tactics being used at times by Fulham.

“When we attacked, things weren’t quite dropping for us in the box.

“But at their end of the pitch they did, you look at their second goal when Anders Lindegaard makes a great save in pushing the ball on to the post and it drops for Dembele to score.

“I couldn’t ask much more of the players, they gave everything.

“We have a group of players who want to win every match and they feel they are capable of doing that.

“At half-time they were saying let’s get the next goal and go on and win it.

“They have done that over the last few weeks, dragged each other along and come back to get results.

“It is a travesty we have not got anything out of the game but that happens sometimes in football.”

North End’s goalscorer Vermijl was a first-half substitute for the injured Calum Woods.

His goal was a quality strike from a tight angle after getting down the right hand side of the box.

Grayson said: “Marnick has got that in his locker, he is quick and has got a hammer of a right foot when he shoots.

“He has been really unlucky not to be in the team in recent weeks because he played very well in a group of games before going out of the side.

“But Calum Woods been one of the star performers in the last few weeks, both defensively and going forward, so Marnick has had to remain patient, keep training and keep working hard.

“It was good for him to score.”

Grayson felt that Fulham’s time-wasting tactics had worked in that they stopped Preston’s attacking flow in the second half.

He said: “It was a difficult for the referee to be fair to him, difficult in terms of when to stop play because there were numerous times when Fulham players went down holding their heads and by the letter of law, the referee had to stop the play and make sure he dealt with the situation properly.

“There was all the added time at the end but our flow was stopped.”