Billy Davies reaction

Manager - Davies
By pnefans.co.uk
April 3 2005

Preston North End manager Billy Davies was understandably downbeat about yesterdays game, here is what the he had to say on th 1-1 draw against Gillingham.

"It's a blow isn't it," said a dejected Davies.

"I have said to the players after the game that they have got to take the second chance, we have got to get a second goal and with the chances that we had throughout the game the second goal was vital. Unfortunately we don't do that, we lack concentration in the 94th minute with a floating ball into the box, we don't pick up, a looping header beats us all and goes into the back of the net. It is a terrible blow for us but these things happen, we have gained a point on one or two teams again so from that point it is a positive."

"We knew that it was going to be a scrappy game, a lot of bouncing balls and 'hook-on football' as they say. That was the way the game was going to be and there are going to be more of these games between now and the end of the season, we can't always get the ball down and play, sometimes the opposition don't allow you to get the ball down and play because of the way that they play.

"You have just got to accept that, there are going to be difficult games between now and the end of the season but at the same time to there was enough chances for us throughout that game to go and get a second or third goal and kill the game off."

On David Nughent, who climbed of his sick bed Davies said:

He has come in and he has lasted well. He just joined the squad on Friday, I made a decision to play him which after speaking to him he looked ok in training. He has got a swollen face and the boys have been giving him a bit of stick but he has come back and he is always a threat.

"If it is an own goal it is an own goal but at the end of the day all strikers as they are will claim anything, no matter who touches in the end they will say it is their goal. I wouldn't expect David Nugent to say anything else other than it is his goal.

"It was a great strike, he had one or two chances before that where he was through one on one and he maybe could have carried on his run. You can see that he has got great potential and you can see that he is a great finisher and we will have a fight on Monday morning trying to decide whose goal it was."