Football: Brown's Sunday roast

FURIOUS Craig Brown ordered his Preston players in for Sunday training after they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of minnows Rochdale.

And the blazing boss, whose job could now be on the line after five consecutive defeats, warned them to expect a verbal roasting when they reported for work this morning.

"I didn't say anything in the dressing room after that other than to tell them they would be working Sunday," he stormed.

"I am saving my comments until the morning, but I think they know what to expect."

The 62-year-old former Scotland manager is under real pressure after only half a season in English club football.

His injury-ravaged side had already lost their four previous league games going into this cup tie and they showed no signs whatsoever of a revival, even though they were facing a team from two divisions below on their own pitch.

Rochdale fully deserved to go into the fourth round hat tomorrow. And player boss Paul Simpson, who claimed the winning goal, admitted he was "proud as punch" with his side's performance.

"People said this was little Rochdale's cup final," he said. "But we at the club felt that was a bit disrespectful.

"Maybe that spurred us on. I didn't need to say anything to the players, they were already motivated."

The tie was a tale of three free-kicks, all beautifully struck and all ending up in the back of the net.

Rochdale took the lead six minutes before the break when Lee McEvilly rocketed a 30-yard free-kick into the top corner.

Preston pulled level in the 48th minute when Iain Anderson curled a 25-yard free kick round the Dale wall.

But the visitors' response was to retake the lead on 54 minutes as Simpson's whipped-in free-kick went straight in after being completely misjudged by keeper Moilanen.

MAN OF THE MATCH NEIL EDWARDS

Made a string of crucial saves in the second half as Preston piled on the pressure.

PRESTON: Moilanen 6, Alexander 5, Lewis 5 (Anderson 7), Abbott 7, Murdock 7, Lucketti 7, McKenna 7, Broomes 6, Etuhu 6, Healy 5, Skora 6 (Cartwright 6).

ROCHDALE: EDWARDS 8, Evans 7, Flitcroft 7, Oliver 7, Doughty 7, Platt 6 (Simpson 7), Jobson 7, Grand 7, Connor 7, Warner 7, McEvilly 7.

MANAGER RATINGS: Brown 6; Simpson 7.

REFEREEL: R Pearson 6.

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