Murphy strike not enough as U's crash

  Matt Murphy's second half goal was not enough to prevent Oxford crashing to a 3-1 defeat at
  promotion-chasing Preston North End.
  Oxford had on-loan 'keeper Richard Knight, making his debut after joining from Derby, to thank for
  keeping them in the game throughout a frantic first half at Deepdale, however he was finally
  beaten when Brett Angell scored with a diving header to put the hosts ahead on the stroke of
  half-time. Murphy struck back for Oxford in the second half, but two goals in three minutes
  ensured Preston would claim all three points, leaving the U's in desperate relegation trouble.
  It was Knight's heroics which kept the U's in the game during the first half when he produced
  stunning saves to deny North End trio Lee Cartwright, Jonathan Macken and David Eyres, while
  he also did extremely well to turn a vicious strike from Paul McKenna onto the crossbar.
  Oxford's best chance of breaking the deadlock in the first came to Derek Lilley, but the former
  Leeds man wasted his opportunity by firing straight at Preston 'keeper Tepi Moilanen after being
  put in by Les Robinson. Meanwhile Nigel Jemson's free-kick was also well saved by the Finnish
  shot stopper.
  However Angell finally broke the deadlock, scoring his fourth goal since joining Preston on loan
  from Stockport County, after 42 minutes. A David Eyres cross-shot sailed into the path of Angell
  and he dived to head past Knight.
  Preston were left to rue missed chances early in the second half when Murphy hauled Oxford
  back on level terms just after the hour mark. The U's top scorer
  raced into the area before firing low into the bottom corner of the net.
  The goal stirred Preston into life and they eventually settled the match with two goals in the
  space of three minutes.
  Macken did well down the left before pulling the ball back to Angell who scored his second from
  close range after 75 minutes, before Macken himself got on the end of a Eyres cross to head in
  the third three minutes later.
  The goal killed off any hopes Oxford had of getting something from the game and the defeat
  leaves them in the final relegation place in 21st position on 34 points.

LANCASHIRE EVENING POST

 Some divine intervention aids Preston
 By Brian Ellis

 Preston 3 Oxford 1

 It all came right in the end thanks to another sprinkling of Angell dust.

 Big Brett’s brace of goals put the sparkle back into Deepdale ? and returned North
 End to their rightful place at the top of the table.

 But, even though Jonathan Macken snatched a heaven-sent third to kill Oxford off
 completely, the mood was more relief than elation when the final whistle arrived.

 The mini-crisis which brought four home games without a win is now at an end. And
 Preston’s promotion bandwagon is chugging along nicely again.

 Yet, if we are brutally honest, it still isn’t quite back to firing on all cylinders.

 The nerves which have caused the engine to stall at Deepdale in recent weeks took
 an absolute eternity to settle last night.

 And it was only when Macken’s 24th of the season hit the back of the net 12 minutes
 from time that the players ? and 12,000 equally edgy fans ? were able to relax.

 “We got there eventually,” said a grateful boss David Moyes.

 “It’s not about performances any more, it’s all about winning. And that’s what we
 did.”

 It is more than seven weeks since the bulk of Preston’s supporters last saw their
 team emerge triumphant from a game.

 While those who hit the road have seen four consecutive victories at Oxford,
 Chesterfield, Burnley and Bournemouth, the home birds have been on a starvation
 diet of only two points from a possible 12.

 And, even though Denis Smith’s strugglers were expected to offer only a token threat
 after being battered 4-0 at The Manor Ground last month, it became clear early on
 that the jitters had still not gone away.

 Angell’s first, two minutes before half time, should have settled things down.

 Yet instead of going on from there, North End found themselves back on level terms
 in the 64th minute ? and looking down the barrel of another Deepdale nightmare.

 Angell rescued them on 76 minutes with his fourth goal in two home matches. And,
 less than two minutes later, top scorer Macken added the third to make it safe.

 Hopefully now, with the sequence broken, we can return to normality in the five home
 games still to come.

 Luton, Wrexham, Cardiff, Scunthorpe and Millwall are all beatable here in Preston.

 But the Moyes boys will need to show more self-belief than this if they are going to
 pull it off.

 The manager revealed his players had been “convinced” they were going to win
 before the match kicked off.

 Oxford followed the annoying trend of sides visiting Deepdale by piling bodies behind
 the ball and challenging the title favourites to break them down.

 And, while such a frustrating system requires a good measure of patience all round,
 that commodity was once again in short supply from some sections of the crowd as
 the game wore on.

 Twice Denis Smith’s strugglers went close to snatching a shock opener in the first
 half.

 But it was North End who created the best chances.

 Paul McKenna saw a rasping volley turned on to the crossbar by keeper Richard
 Knight.

 And the Derby County stopper, an emergency loan signing because of injuries to
 United’s two regulars, made two more crucial stops to keep out David Eyres and Lee
 Cartwright with his legs.

 Eyres whipped a left-foot effort just wide of the target and then volleyed over the top
 from 10 yards.

 Macken had the ball snatched off his boot by Mark Watson just as he was about to
 let fly following a flick on by Angell.

 Then he saw a shot on the turn hoofed away from in front of goal by defender Chris
 Edwards.

 Oxford very nearly silenced Deepdale when old boy Nigel Jemson curled a free kick
 round the Preston wall.

 But Tepi Moilanen produced a cracking save, launching himself across to pluck the
 ball out of the air right in the top corner.

 And Derek Lilley, the former Leeds striker North End were linked with last summer,
 shot straight at Tepi from just 12 yards when he should really have done better.

 But in the 43rd minute Preston snatched the lead ? and there was more than a
 suggestion of good fortune attached to the goal.

 Edwards hit a pass against Eyres and the ball bounced to Angell. He pushed it back
 out to the winger on the left corner of the Oxford penalty box.

 Eyres took a swipe, the ball struck Edwards, looped up into the air and Angell flung
 himself forward to head it beyond Knight into the right-hand corner.

 What better time to score than just before half time?

 But instead of building on the lead after the break, North End threw it away, despite
 starting the stronger of the two sides.

 They had a loud penalty claim rejected by referee Paul Robinson when Eyres
 appeared to be pushed in the back as he was about to get on the end of a far post
 cross from Cartwright.

 Then Angell nodded over and Macken was unlucky with a shot which struck Watson.

 But, with 64 minutes gone, Oxford made Preston pay for not taking the opportunity
 to increase their lead.

 Phil Whelan slipped a ball through for Matt MURPHY to run on to and he made no
 mistake past Tepi’s right hand.

 For a short time, it looked like North End’s wheels were going to fall off again in front
 of their own fans. But striker Angell had other ideas.

 Steve Anthrobus kicked out at sub Iain Anderson to earn a booking and give North
 End a free kick.

 The Oxford defence failed to clear the ball, it found Macken beyond the left-hand
 post, he squared it inside and Angell did what the poacher in him does best by
 stroking it into the net from five yards.

 Two minutes later it was 3-1 and all over for Oxford.

 Whelan fouled Angell on the right, Eyres curled a beauty of an in-swinging free kick
 into the visitors’ box and Macken darted forward to guide a glancing header past the
 helpless Knight to seal the points.

 Perhaps the blip at Deepdale over the past few weeks is now at an end and Preston
 can return to the sort of home form which saw them win nine on the trot prior to
 February.

 Fortunately we won’t have long to wait to find out ? North End are back on home soil
 on Saturday against Luton.

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