AS THE chant clearly warned all who were at Deepdale - “feed The Beast, and he will score”.
And so he did. The giant Jon Parkin ensured Preston North End maintained their challenge for promotion as “The Beast” bagged the winner against Coventry with a calmly taken goal that almost certainly erased City’s distant dreams of a play-off spot.
But the early stages were all about the visitors as the Sky Blues went about their business with an assuredness that has been absent these last couple of weeks.
Stephen Wright, fast-becoming one of the first names Chris Coleman pencils on to the teamsheet, put over a deft cross that found the waiting Clinton Morrison with little more to do than tap the ball into the net. City one-nil up on 17 minutes and all was looking well.
But events took a turn for the worse when Ben Turner, caught panicking in two minds, headed past his own keeper six minutes before half time as the Preston fans sensed a comeback.
The fight hadn’t left Coventry though, as Freddy Eastwood almost put them ahead only to be denied by the post.
Then up stepped 6’ 5” Parkin who latched onto a loose ball and coolly rounded Keiren Westwood to slot in the winner on 78 minutes.
Disappointment then for Coventry whose last four games have seen errors cost points.
