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Post by ricksastokie on Feb 27, 2008 0:07:47 GMT
From The Sporting Life
Stoke boss Tony Pulis rounded on his players after they squandered the chance to forge a four-point lead at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship.
Struggling Preston made light of their lowly placing at the opposite end of the table to stun the leaders as Richard Chaplow's first goals for the club proved decisive in a 2-0 win.
Pulis watched his usually free-scoring side draw a blank at Deepdale despite creating a host of chances, and was left to rue their lack of composure in front of goal.
"It was just one of those nights," bemoaned Pulis.
"We didn't have that cutting edge going forward and I'll have nightmares over the amount of chances we've created and not taken.
"We gave two soft goals away as well and they've punished us off two set-plays.
"They had chances and got balls in the box and you have to give them a bit of credit, but on another day we could have scored seven goals."
Ryan Shawcross, Liam Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller all missed gilt-edged chances for the Potters, who slumped to only their second defeat in their last 19 league games.
Shawcross struck the post with a low drive in the first half but it was Lawrence who came closest to hauling his side back into the game.
The in-form midfielder - who has netted 13 times this season - looked all set to profit from Rory Delap's clever square pass, which bypassed goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, but somehow hit covering defender Callum Davidson with the unguarded goal at his mercy.
"We had five one-on-ones with the goalkeeper and actually went round him once and still couldn't score," added Pulis, who has now lost on all four of his visits to Preston as Stoke boss.
"And you get those days. We've just got to make sure that they don't happen too often."
Pulis also revealed he faces an anxious wait before finding out the severity of an ankle injury to defender Leon Cort, who left the pitch on a stretcher in the second half after a lengthy stoppage in play.
"I was disappointed with a first-half challenge on Corty," he said. "I think he's had three or four stitches in his shin and I think someone has caught that ankle in the second half.
"The physio thought he might have broken it but we're hoping he'll be okay. It doesn't seem as bad as we thought it was going to be.
"He'll have an X-ray tomorrow."
Chaplow, signed from West Brom last month, illuminated the opening 45 minutes and opened his account for the club from close range after 22 minutes, before scoring a stylish second some 11 minutes later.
Preston boss Alan Irvine has now seen his side hold Watford to a goalless draw and beat leaders Stoke in the space of four days to leapfrog Sheffield Wednesday and out of the relegation places.
"It's a massive win against a really good team," said Irvine. "We knew it would be really difficult before the game and we knew it would be difficult at half-time and obviously we've come through it."
When quizzed why his side appear to perform better against high-flying opponents, Irvine added: "Perhaps it's a little bit of mental approach.
"Perhaps the players are a little bit keyed up for the game and clearly we've got to make sure we take that into the games against all the other teams."
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