ALBION Under-18s paid the price for a host of wasted chances as they suffered a 3-1 FA Youth Cup third-round exit at Preston.

The Baggies found themselves 1-0 down at the break in the Deepdale encounter following a Matty Mainwaring penalty.

Substitute Romiane Sawyers' strike around the hour-mark gave Michael Appleton's side a lifeline but North End skipper Nathan Fairhurst's 25-yard stunner came out of the blue.

And Arran McCarthy's deflected shot from the edge of the box minutes later sentenced the visitors to defeat despite a valiant attempt to battle back in the final 20 minutes.

Appleton (pictured) said: "The first 20 minutes was played at a frantic pace with both sides playing with their hearts instead of their heads.

"Josh Knight and Stefan Morrison both missed good chances early on and then we conceded a poor penalty.

"That gave them a foothold in the game but we still looked the stronger side.

"Matthew Pike had a header cleared off the line from a corner and Morrison missed another opportunity before half-time.

"We were a lot better after the break and wasted four more chances in the first five minutes of the second half.

"We got a deserved equaliser through Romaine but then got caught by two sucker-punches as we failed to put pressure on the ball both times.

"We changed the formation to three at the back for the last 20 minutes and pushed forward - but it wasn't to be.

"On chances we didn't deserve to lose but we committed the cardinal sin of not pressurising the ball enough when they had it.

"The result is disappointing but we have to lift each other now and roll our sleeves up to face Liverpool on Saturday.

"We need to find a springboard for the New Year."

ALBION: Allsopp, Mason, Hancox (Hurst HT), Labadie, Pike, Holmes, Knight (Alliyu 70), Bruce (Sawyers HT), S Morrison, Nicholls, Worrall. Subs not used: Lloyd-Weston (gk) Saied. 

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