O’neill: It’s a robbery..

FURIOUS Martin O’neill ripped into the match officials for “robbing” his Nottingham Forest team of a victory.

O’neill (below) was left seething after Joe

Lolley’s second-half goal was ruled out for a foul on Preston keeper Declan Rudd.

It is the second game in a row that the Forest boss has been left feeling cheated after Dwight Gayle won a late penalty by diving in their 2-2 draw at West Brom.

“The keeper spilled the ball and it was there to fight for,” he said.

“We have been robbed of all three points again. That is four points in two games.

“It should have counted and I told the referee after the game that he should look at it again.

“These are the points that you cannot get back. At the start of the season you can ignore this and hope it levels itself out.

“That is a lot of points to lose out on at this stage of the season.”

Preston manager Alex Neil admitted it was not a game that would live long in the memory.

He said: “It wasn’t great, was it? But we had three good opportunities in the first half and if one of those goes in, it’s a very different game.

“It was a day for defenders. There was not a lot of quality at the top end. I like to watch a good game of football and that wasn’t, was it? So I’m disappointed.

“Lewis Grabban is excellent as this level, but Ben Davies is a top centre back too at this level and he dealt with him really well which was pleasing.”

North End’s Brad Potts had a shot blocked for a second-minute corner, before Jordan Storey headed over from the resulting set-piece.

Costel Pantilimon then saved from Darnell Fisher minutes later as Preston enjoyed encouraging early pressure.

Ben Pearson did well to cut out Lolley’s cross as Grabban prepared to pounce for Forest on 24 minutes. And Grabban had a goal ruled out when he strayed offside from Daryl Murphy’s header.

Rudd got a vital block in to keep Grabban out following a flowing Forest move a minute before the break. And Preston’s Potts volleyed over after Alan Browne carved out an opening just after the restart.

Browne cleared Murphy’s knockdown brilliantly as Ryan Yates prepared to fire home, before Grabban had a header well saved.

Pantilimon beat away a powerful Potts volley from 12 yards out just after the hour mark.

Then Lolley had his goal chalked off when Yates was ruled to have fouled Rudd in the build-up on 78 minutes.

And Forest’s Jack Robinson failed to keep a long-range effort down in the closing stages as the game drifted towards the ultimate stalemate.