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Alan Browne drills home Preston's opening goal at Stoke

Alan Browne's 10th goal of the season helped earn Preston back-to-back away victories as Alex Neil's side saw off subdued Stoke.

Midfielder Browne fired home from the edge of the box to give North End a deserved half-time lead.

Ben Davies' goal-line clearance from Sam Clucas preserved their advantage before Brad Potts' cool finish sealed the points for Preston.

Stoke could have pulled one back in stoppage time but North End keeper Declan Rudd tipped Clucas' penalty onto the bar to cap a miserable day for the Potters.

Preston - who climbed to 16th with the win, one place and two points below Stoke - almost went in front inside three minutes when Paul Gallagher's 20-yarder was tipped wide by Jack Butland.

The England stopper was unable to prevent Browne continuing his hot scoring streak though - the midfielder has now netted as many goals in 25 games this season as he had in his previous 111 matches.

Stoke, without Charlie Adam through injury, lacked creativity throughout and looked a different side to the one that beat league leaders Leeds a week earlier.

But that victory remains their only win in their past seven league games and Rudd's late penalty save denied them even a consolation after Potts' foul on Oghenekaro Etebo.

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio Stoke:

"It just shows our inconsistency at the moment and we need to find consistency in performance.

"I didn't change too much from last week (beating Leeds 2-1) as the players deserved to go forward with that, but we didn't start well, keep the ball well enough, impose ourselves.

"I thought we lacked a little bit of energy and that just shows the inconsistency they've had all season and we have to improve on that.

"We've picked a good enough side to go out there and play well and we didn't really do that. We have to be better than that."

Preston manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"To be honest, it was a continuation of what we did at QPR really (a 4-1 away win last Saturday).

"I thought we were great, moved the ball really well. We showed real bravery throughout the game, even after going 1-0 up.

"We made Stoke really change their shape before half-time, which I think was a real compliment to us."