Preston lift-off pleases Grayson

Preston manager Simon Grayson believes more desire in the second half was behind his side's come-from-behind victory over Fleetwood.

Looking to extend their winning run to seven consecutive games, hosts Preston found themselves two goals down after just seven minutes thanks to a Stephen Jordan header and Scott Laird's own goal. But after Paul Gallagher twice came close to halving the deficit in the first half, striker Garner stole the show after the break with a 19-minute hat-trick. Garner twice headed home crosses before wrapping up all three points with a superb volley from outside the area, with Grayson relieved for his troops' turnaround. "The first half was hugely disappointing from our point of view. We didn't start the game well enough, we gave them two goals and the all round play was not very good," said Grayson, whose side now sit second in the League One table. "I felt that our players weren't really in the derby mode. We didn't win enough second balls, we didn't win enough tackles and we allowed them too many opportunities. "The biggest difference to what happened at half-time was that the players came out and had a right go at them, got on the front foot, won tackles further up the pitch and won more individual battles "I said if we get the first goal in the second half this place will erupt and anything could happen - and that's how it turned out." For Fleetwood manager Graham Alexander, it was a painful return to Preston - a club he made 421 appearances for as a player. But he was still keen to praise his side despite their second-half capitulation, arguing that his players were not helped by referee Eddie Ilderton. "This was a game of two halves," Alexander said. "In one half we get a fair playing field and showed what a good team we are. In one half we don't and things go against us and we lose the game. "They were allowed to be physical, we weren't allowed. They had Kevin Davies putting himself about, great. As long as Jamie Proctor can put himself about. But we can't be having it at one end, one centre forward is putting himself about and at the other one is getting penalised. "I'm so proud first of the team and our club with the support we had. I thought they were all superb but I'm also angry because I don't think we are getting what we deserve out of away games and it's a hard one to take. "Preston are a fantastic team with quality players, as Joe Garner showed with his hat-trick. "It's a hard one mentally to take as a player, for the whole half we were superb but we should have at least got a draw. Momentum is a big thing in football and they were allowed to get momentum up." Breaking news, transfer gossip, line ups and goal alerts from your football club - delivered direct to your mobile. Sign up for Sky Sports Alerts