A youthful City side went down to a strong Preston in a match marred by injury to striker Chris Iwelumo.

The big Scot landed awkwardly on his ankle after a challenge from North End's Jamaican international defender Claude Davis and was stretchered off.

The game started disappointingly for City when French midfielder Eric Skora slotted the ball home after just six minutes.

John Eustace almost equalised but flashed a shot wide of the post before Michael Brown doubled the Lilywhites' lead with a curling shot off the post.

City tried hard to find a reply and Jay Denny forced goalkeeper Andy Longergan into a good save when he connected with Peter Hoekstra's centre.

From the resulting counter-attack Pawel Abbot struck the City bar and Andy Wilkinson was forced to head off the line.

Preston's pressure almost produced a third goal but former Celtic striker Simon Lynch saw a low drive turned behind by Cutler.

Eustace flashed two long-range efforts flash wide before Lynch cleverly lobbed Cutler to put the visitors 3-0 up after 44 minutes.

A fourth goal followed just before the interval when Abbott's goalbound effort was finished off by Brown.

City faced an impossible task but were rewarded for a determined second-half display when Denny struck a superb shot home from 30 yards and Ryan Hutchinson.

City: Cutler, Smith, Dickinson (Swift 21), Denny, Owen, Wilkinson, Hutchinson, Eustace, Iwelumo (Palmer 21), L Hall, Hoekstra. Subs: Graves, Sanna, Patterson.

Chris Alcock