Brown offers comfort to ailing McAllister

Coventry City 1 Preston North End

A ringing endorsement from his former Scotland manager, Craig Brown, was cold comfort for Gary McAllister after his fading Sky Blues had suffered a fifth successive defeat at the hands of Brown's blossoming side.

Brown, appointed Preston manager in the wake of David Moyes' March departure to Everton, appears after an awkward first few months to be guiding North End back towards the upward mobility enjoyed under his predecessor.

By contrast the Coventry player-manager McAllister, who captained Scotland for six of Brown's eight years in charge, has seen the promising progress made in the early stages of his first season in management grind to a worrying halt.

But the former Leeds United and Liverpool midfielder seems likely to disregard the advice offered by Brown as he attempts to reverse a run of results which has seen Coventry slip to 15th in the table.

Brown said: "The one thing I would tell Gary is to stick with his principles. He has a game philosophy that he has stuck with throughout his career and he has every attribute to become a top manager."

McAllister, who had unwittingly played a part in both of Preston's goals, said: "We didn't perform today and I'm running out of excuses. Perhaps we have to get more basic and start getting results like that." A result rarely looked likely for Coventry after the impressive striker Richard Cresswell, following a midfield error by McAllister, shot the visitors into a seventh-minute lead.

The left-back Dean Gordon was unlucky not to equalise when his 22nd-minute drive rebounded off the underside of the bar, but Preston – who during the first half in particular produced some excellent football – would have scored further goals but for good saves by Gary Montgomery.

The 20 year-old goalkeeper was making his Coventry league debut, as was the striker Dean Holdsworth after arriving on loan from Bolton Wanderers. Holdsworth, like the rest his side, worked tirelessly but to no great effect.

A point seemed likely when the defender Calum Davenport headed an equaliser from McAllister's 80th-minute corner. But two minutes from time the player-manager sent an intended clearing header looping into the air – and when the ball dropped Eddie Lewis volleyed in the winner.

Having beaten Leicester City, Preston had thus completed their first back-to-back victories of the season to climb in to the top half of the table.

Goals: Cresswell (7) 1-0; Davenport (80) 1-1; Lewis (88) 2-1.

Coventry City (4-4-2): Montgomery; Caldwell, Konjic, Davenport, Gordon; Chippo, Eustace (Safri, 77), McAllister, McSheffrey (Partridge, 57); McMaster (Bothroyd, h-t), Holdsworth. Substitutes not used: Williams (gk), Shaw.

Preston North End (4-4-2) Lucas; Alexander, Lucketti, Murdock, Edwards; Skora (Rankine, 90), Etuhu, McKenna, Lewis (Cartwright, 90); Fuller (Healy 84), Cresswell. Substitutes not used: Moilanen (gk), Broomes.

Referee: S Mathieson (Stockport).

Man of the match: Cresswell.

Attendance: 13,313.