TEAM
Westwood,Wright,Turner, Dann, Hall, Henderson, Beuzelin,Doyle (Gunnarsson 82), Bell, Eastwood (Simpson 79), Morrison SNU Ward, Osbourne, Marshall
Preston
Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Nolan, Sedgewick (Whaley 69), Nicholson (Carter 57), McKenna, Wallace, Parkin, Elliott (Mellor 63) SNU Neal,Brown
HT PNE 1-1 CCFC FT PNE 2-1 CCFC Att 13,251
Goals Clinton Morrison (16), Ben Turner (og 37), John Parkin (71)
Ref K.Friend Booked Henderson, Beuzelin, Parkin
Man Of The Match Jordan Henderson took the votes from Marcus Hall
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman lost Leon Best to a rib injury and brought Scott Dann back into the defence. Aron Gunnarsson was given a place on the bench.
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The curse of Deepdale continues with City still not having recorded a league victory at Preston after gifting two goals and going down to a 2-1 defeat.
We got through the traffic on the M6 to join the other 627 City supporters who had bought a ticket in advance and the other two hundred who paid to get in to Deepdale on a sunny but windy afternoon.
City supporters from as far away as Denmark, Southampton and Kent watched a Coventry team that started reasonable well.
Granted, Preston through the impressive Ross Wallace and the lumbering giant that is John Parkin, had a couple of early chances which they really should have buried but it was Coventry who took the lead in the sixteenth minute.
Clinton Morrison won the ball in the area and played it to Freddie Eastwood. A good lay-off to Beuzelin saw the ball moved to the right flank for Stephen Wright.
The right back got to the byline and cut the ball back for Clinton Morrison to steer the ball into the net before running off the celebrate with Chris Coleman who was stood in the technical area in front of the new Main Stand.
Unfortunately, our celebrations were not to last as The Lillywhites, whose match programme was only £2, raised their game.
Stephen Wright was twice ripped apart by Wallace but thankfully the incoming crosses were eventually sent into the Bill Shankley Kop where the City fans were.
In the 27th minute, City may have had a penalty when Jordan Henderson went down in the area. It looked a penalty from our end but Mr Friend who was nearer the action, booked the Makem for diving.
City continued to hold Preston but in the 36th minute, it was head in hands time.
Preston were awarded a free kick on the right of the area, about 24 yards out. Wallace swung the ball over to the back post. But Ben Turner got in front of his marker and instead of turning his header past the post, he flicked a header past Westwood to draw the home side level.
We sat looking at each other in disbelief at this howler as Preston announced that scoring his first goal for Preston was Ben Turner.
Freddie Eastwood again offered little but in the 42nd minute, he did well to charge down Lonergan and deflect the ball just over the bar.
One minute of time was added on at the break and Marcus Hall,who again worked hard, got the ball on the left and centred for Eastwood. The Welsh international beat off his marker and was in a great position but his left footed shot struck the far post and went for a goal kick.
Ben Turner nearly atoned for his error eight minutes into the second half when his shot from six yards was blocked by the ribs of Barry Nicholson.
He was one of three players replaced by Alan Irvine and in the 71st minute, some of the City support were calling for changes when Preston were gifted a second goal.
Keiren Westwood took the ball for a free kick. His kick fell just past the edge of the area. John Parkin beat Scott Dann in a sprint to the free ball and with Westwood stranded, he stroked the ball into the net before Dann got back.
Eastwood did offer his apologies when he was replaced with eleven minutes left.
Michael Doyle who had another mare alongside the non-existent David Bell, was replaced by Gunnarsson whose runs livened things up for the last eight minutes plus four stoppage.
Morrison fired over from two yards out and planted a Henderson header over the bar from six yards in stoppage time.
But City never really looked like scoring a second goal and defeat like every other we have endured at Deepdale was inevitable.