Preston North End

Two first half set pieces from Dean Saunders’ men and a second half penalty gave the visitors all three points at Deepdale.

The first came with only a minute on the clock as from a corner after 30 seconds – which really should not have been given, as should have been a goal kick or a free kick for a push on Bailey Wright – was executed well with David Cotterill delivering into the right hand corner of the box, and Boxing Day match winner David Syrers scooping a volley up and over Thorsten Stuckmann, who scrambled back, but it ended in top left hand corner.

The second amid torrential rain that had begun to fall right on kick-off came on the half hour mark.

A free kick was given away by Jeffrey Monakana on the left side of the box. David Cotterill again shaped up with the free kick, which he curled from narrow angle into top right hand corner, looping over Stuckmann again.

The first half was a 45 minutes full of frustration for North End, with Gary Woods in the Rovers goal not tested at all and to add to that, manager Graham Westley lost centre half Paul Huntington through injury 35 minutes in, Luke Foster replacing him at the back alongside Bailey Wright.

North End tested Woods for the first time in the 52nd minute as a well-worked piece of play saw Beardsley nod down for Beavon, who laid the ball off for Procter to fire from the edge of the 'D', but the keeper claimed the powerful effort well.

The trickery of Monakana, moved out to the left, lifted the crowd to their feet as North End tried to get themselves back into the game and then youngster Will Hayhurst on the opposite flank cut in and rifled a shot just inches past the left hand post from 25 yards.

Substitute Anthony Elding broke clear in the 69th minite and slid a shot across Woods, but also just past the right hand post, but the second half was very different to the first, with PNE doing all the attacking and the visitors happy to waste as much time as possible.

But Doncaster were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes when Will Hayhurst was harshly judged to have brought down Kyle Bennett and Billy Paynter stepped up and sent Thorsten Stuckmann the wrong way.

Joel Byrom saw a free kick punched away by Woods with five minutes left as North End looked for a consolation, but they could not get a goal as the game petered out.

: Stuckmann, Mousinho, Buchanan, Welsh, Huntington (Foster, 35), Wright, Monakana, Procter (Byrom, 74), Beardsley (Elding, 65), Beavon, Hayhurst. Subs not used: Simonsen, Cansdell-Sherriff, Cummins, Kane.PNE line-up

: G Woods, Quinn, Jones, Syers, Paynter (Husband, 88), Cotterill (Griffin, 83), Spurr, McCombe, Harper, Bennett (Martis, 81), Keegan. Subs not used: Maxted, Husband, Wakefield, Ball, Middleton. Doncaster Rovers line-up

: Mr S RushtonReferee

: 9,626 (465 away fans)Attendance