Football: Brown booed as Dale take over Deepdale

MINNOWS Rochdale increased the pressure on Preston boss Craig Brown with a deserved FA Cup win at Deepdale.

The Third Division outfit were worthy winners and left the home fans screaming for the head of the former Scotland boss.

Defeat was Brown's fifth on the trot, and his lacklustre side were booed at the end.

The 62-year-old could now be facing a battle to keep hold of his job after only half a season in English football.

Rochdale, on a seven-match unbeaten run coming into this third round tie, met Preston on the crest of a slump and with half their team out injured.

The game was a tale of three free kicks, all going in.

Dale scored the first in the 39th minute, Lee McEvilly hammering in a 30-yard rocket after Paul McKenna pulled down the Northern Ireland international.

Preston hauled themselves level three minutes after the interval when Simon Grand was penalised for pulling back Pawel Abbott.

Sub Iain Anderson, who had only been on for three minutes, curled the free kick around the visitors' wall and into the bottom corner, giving keeper Neil Edwards no chance.

Dale's response to that sickener was to go down the other end seven minutes later and restore their advantage.

Defender Marlon Broomes was booked for a foul on McEvilly, player- boss Paul Simpson curled the free kick into the near post, keeper Tepi Moilanen fumbled it over the line and Grand followed up to make sure.MAN OF THE MATCH NEIL EDWARDS

Made a string of crucial saves 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.

REFEREE: R Pearson 6.

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