Cheer up Craig-y Brown' rang out of the away end, as Dale pulled off a fantastic victory at Deepdale against First Division, Preston North End.

Oh the joys of being a Dale fan! The memories all came flooding back of what it was like to actually win a game. It just felt simply amazing. An absolute, top drawer, battling performance, and a VERY deserved win. The fourth round beckons!

Dale welcomed back Richard Jobson at centre back in place of Gareth Griffiths (please keep it this way!) Preston had a strong side out, probably the strongest they could muster given their injuries, making this an even more impressive display from Dale. The Deepdale outfit had players such as Healy, Murdoch, Broomes, Lucketti, and the ever dangerous Etuhu, who was taken off for some reason!

Dale started well, and our forward three always looked a threat. Connor was running defenders ragged, as was Platt. It was very much even throughout, until a moment of magic from Lee McEvilly swung the tie in Dale's favour. A 25 yard free kick was screamed into the top corner giving Moilanen in the Preston goal, no chance whatsoever.

The first half was a very niggly affair. Quite how Preston didn't have a number of players sent off is beyond me. They were quite simply the dirtiest team we have played in a long while. Fouls went 'un-carded' time after time. Typical Pearson as referee though, not a clue, and a complete 'homer'.

Preston went close to grabbing an equaliser, though how they got the free kick is beyond me. A ball was played through, the linesman rightly flagged for offside, yet Roy 'the cheat' Pearson gave PNE a free kick on the edge of the box. A wonderful save from Edwards kept it out though.

Edwards also had to be alert when a ball was played through on goal, and despite slipping at first he managed to somehow recover and parry the ball away from the oncoming attacker.

The second half saw things take a turn for the worse for Dale just a few minutes in. An Iain Anderson free kick was drilled low into the bottom of the net to bring the home side level.

But Dale did not let there heads go down, and cheered on by a travelling army of easily over two thousand, Dale took the lead again. Paul Simpson had come on for an injured Clive Platt, and his first cross of the day, ended up in the back of the net. The in-swinger from a free-kick near the corner flag was difficult for the keeper to deal with and he could only parry it into his near post netting. Dale were jubilant, the away end was a sea of bodies!

Dale were ahead, and desperate to hold on. PNE looked dangerous going forward for a while, but the longer the game went on, you could sense there was only going to be one winner. Paul Connor went close for Dale on two occasions, and Evil hit a drive over the bar, Jobson also heading wide from a corner at the back post.

A superb Dale performance, and a fully deserved victory in the end. If only we could play like this in the league, then no doubt we would be at the right end of the table, where we do belong! The fourth round is coming, we are in the draw! What's that I hear you say.....'Bring on Man Utd?!'

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls