Karl Hawley struck twice as Preston hit four past a dismal Derby at Pride Park.
Rams rocked by clinical Preston
Karl Hawley struck twice as Preston emphatically beat Derby 4-1 at Pride Park in the FA Cup fourth round.
Simon Whaley and Neil Mellor also netted to secure Preston's place in the fifth round as Derby's season took another turn for the worse.
The visitors produced a scintillating first-half display and flew into a 3-0 lead at the interval courtesy of a combination of calamitous defending and clinical finishing.
Robert Earnshaw hit back for Derby early in the second half but Preston resisted brief spells of pressure as Mellor sealed the win from the spot after Lewin Nyatanga was dismissed for a professional foul.
Considering the league positions of the teams - Derby are bottom of the Premier League and Preston 22nd in the Championship - it was no surprise to see both begin nervously.
Clumsy
Rams defender Claude Davis was particularly culpable, two clumsy touches putting his goal in danger only for the home side to escape.
The home side threatened briefly when leading scorer Kenny Miller's well-struck effort was blocked by Youl Mawene but it was Preston who took a 13th-minute lead.
Andy Todd was caught dithering in possession by Chris Brown on the left of the Derby area and he squared for Hawley to slot low into the right corner.
It could have been two when the unmarked Paul McKenna blazed over from the edge of the area.
A curling free-kick from Robbie Savage on the half hour was as close as Derby came to making a breakthrough, the Welshman's effort dipping the wrong side of the left post.
But the defensive frailties which have cost Derby so dearly already this season were again exposed two minutes later by a sweeping move.
Hawley charged clear down the right and found Darren Carter on the edge of the area. He moved the ball to the unmarked Whaley on the left side and with his marker Marc Edworthy nowhere to be seen the midfielder had plenty of time to steady himself and curl low inside the right post.
Chris Sedgwick's shot then flashed wide of the post before Preston did make it 3-0. Again Hawley capitalised on an initial error from Todd, tucking the ball inside the post as an increasingly frustrated Pride Park crowd let the home side know exactly what they thought at the half-time whistle.
Todd and Villa made way for Giles Barnes and Earnshaw at the start of the second half and within 10 minutes it had the desired impact as the Wales international broke the offside trap to convert Miller's pass, calmly slotting underneath Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.
Frantic but effective
Savage should have reduced the deficit further when he found himself alone at the far post but his close-range effort was well saved by Lonergan before some frantic but effective defending ensued.
The Championship strugglers should have put the tie beyond doubt when Mawene rose unmarked but nodded a corner wide and Stephen Pearson headed against his own crossbar.
North End substitute Mellor was inches away from a fourth with an audacious chip late on but the former Liverpool striker was then bundled over by Nyatanga, who received a straight red for the professional foul.
Mellor composed himself to fire the resulting penalty low into the right corner to complete a disastrous day for Derby.
| Derby County |
Team Statistics |
Preston North End |
| 1 |
Goals |
4 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
3 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
7 |
| 4 |
Shots off Target |
7 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 5 |
Corners |
8 |
| 11 |
Fouls |
12 |
| 1 |
Offsides |
5 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 1 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 51.6 |
Possession |
48.4 |
|
