Preston North End 1-3 Doncaster Rovers in FA Cup third round
- Published
- comments
FA Cup: Preston North End 1-3 Doncaster Rovers highlights
John Marquis scored his 19th goal of the season as Doncaster produced an FA Cup upset at Championship side Preston.
League One's top scorer Marquis headed home Matty Blair's early cross to put Rovers ahead at Deepdale.
Andrew Hughes nodded injury-hit Preston level but Tom Anderson poked Doncaster back ahead from a free-kick.
Mallik Wilks' cool late finish sealed Rovers' progress as Grant McCann's side reached the fourth round for the first time since 2010.
Preston - hit by a glut of injuries, including to top scorer Callum Robinson, who is out for several months with a hamstring problem - have raided the two lower divisions in the early days of January.
But new signings Josh Ginnelly, Jayden Stockley and Brad Potts were all cup-tied for this match - and it was one of Doncaster's early pieces of business who proved decisive.
Rovers this week extended Wilks' loan from Championship leaders Leeds until the end of the season and he caused Preston no end of problems.
Wilks fired inches wide on three occasions after the early opener from Marquis, who also had a header cleared off the line by Graham Burke.
Doncaster, sixth in League One, have now won nine of their past 12 games, while Alex Neil's Preston are winless in five.
Preston, who hit the post just before the interval through Hughes' 25-yarder, had chances to go ahead after levelling but Rovers keeper Ian Lawlor denied Daniel Johnson and Darnell Fisher.
Preston manager Alex Neil:
"I think during my time here, off the top of my head there have been five or six games where I have felt it has been unacceptable in terms of performance, and that was one of them.
"What I will say is that's pretty much the same team who have churned out so many games recently, but I don't want to make excuses, I will take full responsibility for today's performance and result.
"We need to get back to trying to play as well as we can and picking up wins because we haven't been getting the results.
"Everyone knows that goals change games. The second goal was a disappointing one to concede, and the third goal is a comedy of errors really and that finishes the game."
Doncaster boss Grant McCann:
"I thought we were outstanding today. I'm particularly proud of the response after we conceded.
"We stayed mentally strong and re-established control. From that goal we were again the better team and the team who looked most likely to win.
"I told the players before the game to go and show that they can compete at this level and I think they've done that.
"It is a great feeling to be in the fourth round, it has been a long time since the club got so far. We are all excited to see who we will get drawn against."