Macclesfield Town 3 Preston North End 2
PRESTON's hopes of automatic promotion from Division Two are fading fast despite the free scoring form of star striker Steve Basham.
Another brace from on-loan Basham wasn't enough to prevent defeat at Moss Rose where Preston found themselves on the end of a three-goal blitz inside 15 minutes early in the second half.
Deadly Basham had given Preston a first half lead but John Askey (51), Kieron Durkan (63) and Steve Wood (65) put the bottom club firmly in the driving seat although Basham managed an immediate response to set up a tense finale.
The only consolation for a despondent David Moyes was Walsall's shock defeat at Colchester.
But the chasing pack are closing in fast with Manchester City, Gillingham and Bournemouth all uncomfortably close to Preston.
Two massive derby games this week, at Wigan tomorrow and at home to Blackpool on Saturday, could decide things one way or the other.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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