Second half goals from Neill Collins and Danny Welbeck saw Preston North End to a 2-0 victory over the Blues at Deepdale. Town created little aside from what looked a harshly disallowed Tamás Priskin header at 0-0, while earlier on the Hungarian missed the Blues best opportunity in open play.
Town made two changes from the team which started Tuesday’s game against West Brom. Pim Balkestein took over from David Wright at left-back, while Tamás Priskin made a rare start in place of Pablo Couñago. Jon Stead moved to wide right with Jaime Peters switching to a central role in a 4-5-1 formation.
The Blues started the game very brightly, Priskin forcing Preston keeper Andy Lonergan to fumble the ball wide for the first of a succession of Town corners.
On three Stead teed up Liam Rosenior just outside the area but the right-back sent the ball high over the bar. Five minutes later, David Norris shot wide.
The home side gradually took control and on 11 Chris Brown headed a Ross Wallace cross wide. The Lilywhites continued to have the better of it and keep the ball for long spells and Brown shot wide from 25 yards.
On 28 Richard Chaplow was booked for the latest in a succession of fouls, then Norris shot weakly to Lonergan after a decent spell of passing from the Blues.
Ross Wallace’s deep 35th minute corner was headed goalwards by Billy Jones but Arran Lee-Barrett saved.
And that was it in term of first half chances. Both sides had shown that they could keep the ball and pass it around at times, Preston for probably the greater part of the game up to then, but neither seemed capable of creating too much of note inside the penalty area.
Town should have gone in front in the third minute of the second half when Rosenior played Priskin in on goal on the right of the area but the striker rushed his shot and sent it over the bar when he should have scored.
The Blues had again started the half strongly and on 54 thought they had gone in front. Leadbitter sent in a freekick from the right and Priskin loopecd a header over Lonergan and into the net. Referee Jonathan Moss signalled that two players had been in offside positions when the ball had been crosses, which looked harsh.
Preston sought to take advantage of the situation by taking a quick freekick and Lonergan found Neil Mellor, who beat Lee-Barrett but play was called back as the ball had been moving when Lonergan took the kick.
Gareth McAuley was booked for a foul on Danny Welbeck in the 58th minute, Lee-Barrett saving Wallace’s freekick. Owen Garvan replaced Jaime Peters.
Town had enjoyed the better of the second half but in the 63rd minute the home side went in front. Chaplow sent in a cross from the right and as Lee-Barrett half came for the ball, sub Neill Collins escaped McAuley’s attentions and headed into the net.
A minute later Priskin was replaced with Couñago, the Spaniard creating a chance for Stead two minutes later but the former Sunderland man shot straight at Lonergan.
On 68 Garvan picked up a yellow card for a foul on Wallace, Leadbitter joining him the book for protesting that the Preston man had caught Norris with an elbow to gain possession of the ball in the first place. Wallace took the freekick himself but sent it wide. Stern John replaced Jon Stead as the Blues switched to 4-4-2.
The Lilywhites sealed their victory in the 83rd minute when a Town attack broke down on the halfway line. The ball found sub Jon Parkin midway inside the Blues half, the striker holding off Delaney before finding Danny Welbeck on the edge of the area. The loanee from Manchester United spotted Lee-Barrett advancing from his line and sent a deft chip over the keeper, under the bar and into the net.
From there the Blues huffed and puffed but showed little of quality. Rosenior and Norris were booked for fouls, before Stern John managed a shot on target which failed to test Lonergan.
As the final whistle drew close, Norris was found in a good position inside the area but took too long over his shot, which was deflected wide only for the referee to award a goalkick, which just about summed up Town’s afternoon.
After Tuesday’s battling point against West Brom, it was a disappointing display from the Blues, who rarely looked like scoring a goal, aside from the disallowed header and Priskin’s early second half miss.
There were spells of possession but little creativity, while too little was made of numerous corners and freekicks, other than the disallowed goal.
Defensively, the first goal was the result of individual errors and the second, while deftly executed, came when the Blues were pushing for an equaliser with several players caught forward.
With Derby, Crystal Palace, Scunthorpe, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday all winning, it was a poor day for the Blues, who now sit in 21st just three points from the relegation zone and with escaping the relegation zone still remaining the priority as the season moves into February.
Town: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, Balkestein, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Peters (Garvan 62), Norris, Colback, Stead (John 77), Priskin (Couñago 64). Unused: McLoughlin, Quinn, D Wright, Edwards. Att: 12.087.