RUDD: WE ALL LOOKED TIRED OUT THERE

PRESTON keeper Declan Rudd admitted fatigue had played a key part in his side’s bore draw.

The Lilywhites were unable to match the high standards set in their 3-1 win over table-toppers Norwich in midweek and were forced to settle for a point.

“Going into the game there was a lot of fatigue” said Rudd (above). “We were probably all a little bit tired. There were tired bodies, but most of all there were tired minds.

“Sometimes that is harder to overcome than a tired body.”

But manager Alex Neil was happy to see North End’s unbeaten run extended.

“If someone had told us we would get the results we have done over the last seven games, and played the way we have, we would have been buzzing,” he said.

“The first 10 minutes was key for us – if we had got the early goal, it would have brought Forest out and made the game more expansive.”

Forest chief Martin O’neill felt his side had chucked away two points. “We started slowly and had to defend strongly,” he said.

“We had the better chances in the first half and I thought we were going to score. We deserved to get all three points.”

Brad Potts, Jordan Storey and Darnell Fisher all went close inside the first 10 minutes as North End started strongly.

Luckless Forest had two goals disallowed. Lewis Grabban’s effort was ruled out for offside on 29 minutes.

And Joe Lolley’s was chalked off after Ryan Yates was ruled to have fouled Rudd in the build-up towards the end.