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Penalty regret as Rovers held
Preston 1 Doncaster Rovers 1
BILLY Sharp was kicking himself all the way back across the Pennines after his penalty miss denied Doncaster six of the best from two tough away games.
Rovers' 14-goal top scorer could have lifted the club to within five points of the play-off places when referee Phil Crossley pointed to the spot for a push on marauding full-back James Chambers.
But highly-rated keeper Andrew Lonergan flung himself across to make a crucial save and Sharp was left cursing himself for a golden chance spurned.
"He will be a sulky boy on the way home," said manager Sean O'Driscoll after seeing his side cruelly denied what would have been a deserved second win on the road in three days.
"When he got off the pitch he kicked everything and swore at everybody.
"But that's football. Goal-scorers just want to score goals and he will be disappointed with that one.
"He wanted to take the penalty and if you take them you take a chance. The only certainty is that sometimes you are going to miss them.
"But Billy has been terrific for us, he is a top goalscorer and he has got to take it on the chin. I'm sure he will bounce back at the weekend."
Rovers left Lancashire knowing it was a case of two points dropped rather than one banked.
Following on from their awesome 5-2 destruction of Bristol City at bogey stadium Ashton Gate on Saturday, O'Driscoll's slick side out-passed their hosts at another of their least favourite away grounds – just one win in 13 previous visits.
After an uncomfortable opening 10 minutes they were ahead before the half hour mark with James Hayter's sixth of the season. And they should have been further in front before Preston levelled against the run of play two minutes before the break with a goal from ex-Liverpool striker Neil Mellor which had a strong whiff of offside.
Keeper Lonergan pulled off a stunning one-handed save to deny skipper Gareth Roberts and Hayter saw two efforts saved at point blank range.
"We could have been out of sight by half-time," confessed O'Driscoll. "But if we had been offered four points from two difficult away games like this I would have taken it."Neil Sullivan had to make a couple of saves in the opening minutes and Chambers also had to intervene to prevent Preston taking an early lead.
But once Rovers got their bearings they had almost exclusive possession of the ball virtually until half-time.
The breakthrough came on 29 minutes after Lonergan had acrobatically turned Roberts' stinging shot round the post for a corner. The flag kick came in from James Coppinger and found its way across to Roberts on the left, he swung it back in and Hayter connected perfectly on the edge of the box to whip a first-time shot past Lonergan into the bottom left corner.
Preston responded three minutes before the interval after a long spell on the back foot. Central defender Sean St Ledger broke out and surged downfield only to be felled unceremoniously by Chambers, a tackle which earned the full-back a booking.
The free-kick from Keith Treacy was lifted towards the back post, Youl Mawene knocked it back inside and Mellor applied the finishing touch from close range.
In the 56th minute Doncaster were presented with a gilt-edged chance to get their noses back in front when St Ledger appeared to barge a ball-juggling Chambers to the ground as the full-back danced into the Preston box.
Sharp hammered the penalty to the left, Lonergan guessed correctly and the keeper was able to parry the shot, with Mawene tidying up the rebound.
Boss's View
'WE could have been out of sight by half-time, but that is never the case in such a tight division as the Championship.
It was probably a good game to watch for the neutral. We started where we left off at Bristol City, but you have got to give credit to Preston who upped the tempo and it became end-to-end in the second half.'
I am pleased with the performance.
To take four points from two difficult away games is pleasing and if we can finish it off on Saturday with a win I will be delighted.'
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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