David Unsworth was tempered in his delight of the reserves' title win at Turf Moor due to the current circumstances at the football club. The second team chief saw Danny Mayor score a brilliant hat-trick to beat the Clarets and take the Totesport.com trophy to Deepdale, however, he admitted to the official website that it had been a muted celebration in the dressing room.

"It is bittersweet," he told PNE.Com. "Everything at a football club is about the first team and as much as we are delighted at tonight we are also devastated at what has happened in the last couple of days. But the young lads have deserved this win tonight with their performances over the season in the reserves and in the youth team.

"The lads have been absolutely outstanding, so all the credit must go to all our young players. They have put in a proper performance tonight in what I would class as a 'proper' game. It was fiery, there was a few fans here, there were tackles going in, there was some great football played and there were some great goals scored. That was as real as you will get to a first team game and I thought they were terrific.

"Some of the individual performances on show tonight were outstanding. Danny Mayor's third goal was top drawer. It warrants winning any first team game, let along any first team game and the save that Andreas made was absolutely world class. It was unbelievable, it was Gordon Banks-esque how he managed to pull that one off. Danny Devine threw his body on the line and Scott Leather was outstanding too. Everybody put a real shift in and what they have done tonight is what they have done all season.

"They are a terrific bunch of young players. They are used to winning, they are getting better. They are developing into young men physically. We are trying to get a winning mentality into them, which they have and this is a great habit to have.

"We are very proud of them, but nothing can really take away from what has happened this week."

The game was extremely fiery and played in true derby spirit and Unsworth was impressed with the way the youngsters coped with this experience.

"They are young players and they care about the Club and that is what the manager wants. He wants players who give everything in a Preston shirt. We care as staff and that filters through to the players.

"Since the manager has been at the Club he has lifted the place and shown passion that has resulted in the first team almost pulling off what looked like an almost impossible task and the whole Club has been lifted.

"We have tried to get the gaffer's message across to our young players and they have showed it tonight."

With the drop to League One a number of the players involved for Unsworth's side throughout the campaign and again at Turf Moor on Wednesday night could well have a big part to play next season and this made up part of the former Burnley and Everton defender's team talk before the game.

"This is our future. I asked all the lads who have played in the reserves and who are injured or who weren't involved to come along tonight and the future of our football club was in that dressing room tonight.

"If they show that to the manager, Brian and myself in training from now on then they have bright futures for Preston. Hopefully we can bounce straight back and some of those players can be involved as quickly as we can."

The manager was due at a fans' forum at Chorley on the night but honoured the importance of the game by making sure he was at Turf Moor for the first half before heading off to Victory Park, whilst assistant Brian Horton was in attendance for the whole game.

"That tells you everything about the manager," the Preston-born man continued. "He has been fantastic since he came through the door. He really has the staff going, he really has the players going, he has got the fans going and he has got the whole Club bouncing with his enthusiasm and his desire.

"I am obviously gutted with what has happed from being a Preston lad, but I am also devastated for the manager because of what people don't see that he has put in since he has been here and we haven't got the rewards. The work ethic he shows is amazing and with the sort of winning mentality we have amongst the staff coupled with our great fans, I am sure we can bounce back.

"We hope the lads tonight go on to have successful careers. These young lads are used to winning. Yes, it is youth team and reserve team football and all that matters at a football club is your first team but when your youth team and reserve team is heatlthy then these players can see they might have a future and an opportunity to go and play in the first team. They are certainly hungry enough and I know having worked with them all season and last season that they won't let you down for want of trying and hard work. If you couple that with a little bit of quality that we have in our first team and it can be a recipe for success and these boys might be given that opportunity."

Unsy also reserved a word for his skipper Bailey Wright who has led the reserves most of the season but was forced off in the first half and unable to see the trophy won from on the pitch.

"Bailey's been brilliant all season. He's been absolutely top draw. He signed his professional contract early and he has played many games in the first team which has been a massive boost for him.

"He got a whack on his calf tonight but he will be okay for the weekend."