Brown makes Preston proud

Chris Brown's 54th minute strike gave Preston the points in their north-west derby with Burnley.

Chris Brown scored a second-half winner to all but secure Preston's Coca-Cola Championship status and a season double over 10-man Lancashire rivals Burnley. The January signing from Norwich finished clinically from six yards in the 54th minute to hand North End victory and put them on 50 points with six games remaining. James O'Connor had fired home from distance to draw Burnley level in the 38th minute and cancel out an early strike from Preston loan star Tamas Priskin. Watford forward Priskin notched his first goal in four appearances for the Deepdale outfit with a delightful curling, right-footed shot from 18 yards in the fifth minute. And although Clarets midfielder O'Connor fired the ball through a group of players in the 38th minute to draw Owen Coyle's play-off chasing side level, Brown's strike ultimately proved crucial. Burnley's misery was complete when Preston-born defender Clarke Carlisle was shown a straight red card in the closing stages for a foul on Sean St Ledger. Priskin's early opener was just the start Irvine had hoped for and came from a superb cross by winger Simon Whaley. It was almost 2-0 two minutes later as Chris Sedgwick delivered a dangerous cross from the right which Brown greeted with a firm header from six yards. Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen made a fine parried save but Preston quickly built up a head of steam. Whaley fired goalwards from 25 yards and former Preston stalwart Graham Alexander was forced into a superb block to avert the danger.

Dominating

Veteran Scotland international Alexander, 36, made 400 appearances for the Lilywhites before joining Burnley in a £100,000 switch last August. He was powerless to prevent his old club dominating in the early exchanges and Preston went close again in the 11th minute when Priskin cracked a left-footed shot from 18 yards which Jensen again did well to parry to safety. Barely 60 seconds later, Brown fired wide for Preston but Burnley gradually established a foothold on proceedings. And O'Connor's right-footed equaliser was no surprise. Preston began the second half strongly and Brown did well to rifle home the winner from six yards after Burnley failed to deal with an inswinging corner from Paul McKenna. Burnley had chances to level and Chris McCann should have done better than head Alexander's cross over the bar in the 65th minute. Clarets boss Coyle brought on on-loan Sunderland striker Andy Cole in the 67th minute in place of Kyle Lafferty as the visitors went in search of an equaliser. Cole went close in the 81st minute with a low shot that St Ledger blocked and Carlisle's late red card ensured more misery for the visitors.