Skipper

blast at

referee

PRESTON skipper Chris Lucketti thinks North End have suffered from some bad refereeing decisions lately but thinks they are due for a change of luck soon from the 'men in black'.

North End have enjoyed a productive festive season so far, with two home wins and a draw providing seven from a possible nine points, but players and fans alike are becoming infuriated with some of the decisions made by match officials.

The two awayday derbies at Burnley and Wigan were dominated by poor decisions by referees, but their actions were nothing compared to the petty behaviour of Wakefield ref Alan Kay when West Ham came to Deepdale.

North End went on to win that game, although Mr Kay's performance upset large sections of the home fans. And again on Tuesday, when North End beat Reading 3-0, Richard Cresswell received a yellow card for apparently kicking the ball away, while Reading captain Steve Sidwell received numerous warnings about his late tackles and poor challenges before finally getting his yellow card.

Cresswell's booking was his fifth of the season, and he must now serve a one match ban, probably missing the game against Crewe on January 3.

Lucketti, who returned to the side on Tuesday after missing the trip to Stoke because of a family illness, said: "At Burnley, it was unbelievable that we didn't get a penalty when Cresswell was pulled down. I'm not sure how the linesman didn't see it.

"It is difficult when these things keep going against you but you have to hope that sooner or later you will get your fair share of the decisions going in your favour."

Manager Billy Davies has managed to keep his cool on the issue of referees, though at one point during Tuesday's match the fourth official had to pull him back from the touchline.

Fortunately, the performances by North End at home have been enough to secure two back-to-back wins, despite a mounting crisis at left back.

With both Callum Davidson and Marlon Broomes injured on Boxing Day, Graham Alexander switched wings and Yaoul Mawene assumed the role of right back.

After Tuesday's game, Davies said: "I think it was an excellent performance from the defence forward.

"But I have to single out Graham Alexander who did superbly on the left, which isn't his side, but he had to play there because there was no one else."

The match also gave Joe O'Neill, a Blackburn-born striker who has come through the ranks, his first appearance in the first team, coming on as a second half substitute.

Davies is hopeful of bringing in a new left-back before Saturday's home game to Sunderland, .

He said: "There are one or two names we are looking at, but nothing is certain yet."

Filipe Oliveira is likely to start on Monday instead of Cresswell.