Saturday 3 May 2014 20:20, UK
Simon Grayson insisted his Preston side's 2-1 defeat at Crewe would not dent their confidence ahead of their play-off campaign.
Goals from Crewe pair Adam Dugdale and Mathias Pogba in both halves proved sufficient to mean that Preston skipper John Welsh's stoppage-time effort was just a mere consolation. Welsh reduced the arrears with a snapshot from the edge of the box in stoppage time, but North End slipped to fifth and must now bounce back for their play-off semi-final first leg against Rotherham at Deepdale next Saturday. Grayson said: "We're disappointed that we lost, but it won't affect the confidence and belief that we've got. "Credit to Crewe who were fighting for their lives. "Rotherham is going to be tough for us as they go from back to front very quickly. "But we know what to expect and we've played them twice this season. It'll be a high pressure game and I will be expecting a reaction from everyone and I am sure I will get one. "We're disappointed we've lost, but it won't dent our confidence for the games against Rotherham."
