Swansea boss Michael Duff rued a sloppy second half as his side blew a half-time advantage in a 2-1 loss to Preston at Deepdale.
Harrison Ashby’s effort in the 33rd minute gave the visitors a deserved lead at the break but they were poor after the break and were made to pay.
Andrew Hughes drew the hosts level before Duane Holmes struck with just over 10 minutes left to complete Preston’s comeback.
Defeat added to Swansea’s misery after losing Joel Piroe to Leeds United earlier in the week.
“I thought we were totally dominant in the first half, so in the end I’m really frustrated,” said Duff.
“We knew we’d have to tweak one or two things at half-time, so we did that and then we didn’t look enough of a threat early in the second half.
“There needs to be a mentality shift, that’s a disappointing thing – we should know that teams in this division are not just going to roll over. We definitely need to be putting teams to the sword when we’re 1-0 up.
“Some of the passes and the movement in that second half just wasn’t good enough. We gave away two quite soft goals in the end, but we shouldn’t really have been in that situation in the first place.
“It’s been a difficult week all round. We thought we were going to keep Joel and then he’s gone, and looking at it we do need to strengthen before the window closes.”
Victory extends Preston’s strong start to the new season, with three wins out of four in an unbeaten start to the campaign.
Boss Ryan Lowe was thrilled with his side’s second-half display and believes his squad, currently sitting in fifth place in the Championship, can continue to grow in confidence.
Lowe added: “The whole group has been fantastic so far this season.
“We were a little bit disappointed at half-time at being behind, but after that the attitude and application of all the lads was first-class.
“The lads are taking instructions on board and as a manager I can’t ask for more than that. We showed resilience too, which is also pleasing for me.
“The lads have got confidence. We don’t take a lot of notice of what other teams are doing, we just concentrate on going about our own business. We’re finding a way to win matches, and that’s all it’s about really.
“Every player has been fantastic in different ways. Some lads are playing in different positions than they’re maybe used to, but they’re all doing their jobs.
“I’ve told the lads to go out there and enjoy their football, and that’s what they’re doing.”
United States 4-2 Jamaica (5-2 agg): Hosts secure place in Nations League semi-finals
A dominant first-half display helped the United States to book a place in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final as they brushed aside Jamaica 4-2 on Monday.
The USA won their quarter-final 5-2 on aggregate, with the Reggae Boyz unable to make up the deficit despite Demarai Gray's second-half brace at CITYPARK.
Mauricio Pochettino's side had a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg, and came out of the blocks quickly in the second, with Timothy Weah striking the post after a lovely team move just three minutes in.
Christian Pulisic broke the deadlock 10 minutes later, catching Andre Blake with a first-time shot when one-on-one and the captain created the second goal too as his shot deflected in off the unfortunate Di'Shon Bernard.
Ricardo Pepi, who scored the winner in the first leg, put the USA out of sight just before half-time, forcing a turnover in possession before curling a delightful effort past Blake.
Gray attempted to start a comeback for Jamaica after the break, netting his first goal seven minutes after the restart with a superb volley near the penalty spot.
Weah restored the USA's three-goal advantage shortly after, finishing from close range with a superb volley, with Gray's second, a rebound from a saved Renaldo Cephas shot, proving only another consolation.
Data Debrief: Home-field advantage
The USA looked much more comfortable for their home leg of the tie, which should come as no surprise as they have now won all 12 Concacaf Nations League matches played on American soil, outscoring their opponents 38-6 in those matches.
In fact, they have scored at least four goals in St. Louis for the sixth time (13 games), only doing so more often in Washington, D.C. (seven times in 26 games).
Pepi's goal was also his 10th for the national team - he is the second-youngest player (21 years, 314 days) to score 10 competitive goals for the USA after Pulisic - 20 years, 288 days.
Jonathan David names Barcelona as dream club amid Lille uncertainty
Jonathan David admits it is his dream to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Lille contract.
The Canada international is into his fifth season with the Ligue 1 side but is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Lille have attempted to persuade David with a new deal, though he looks set to depart Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – potentially as early as January if a club is prepared to pay a transfer fee.
However, while the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the campaign before taking the next step in his career.
"Going to a club midseason is never easy," he told The Athletic. "It's not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel.
"In January, things are very hectic. It's about right now. It's tougher."
"[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it's your dream to play for them.
"Some people might say, 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not getting better'. But for me, there's always opportunities to get better."
David has scored 13 goals in 19 games for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored via his stronger right boot, four with his left and one with his head – an area the forward accepts he can still improve.
"Aerially, I can get better," he said. "Getting that header on target and scoring.
"I can get in good positions and win headers but the finishing touch, I'm still missing. With my back to goal, I can also get better."
David is averaging a goal every 112 minutes across all competitions this season, which compares to one every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022-23.
However, he still has some way to go to match the 18 goals scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
"Things are good right now because I'm scoring goals," David said.
"But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me, it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life."
Scotland 'never lost belief' to get Nations League lifeline, says Clarke
Steve Clarke says Scotland "never lost belief" as they secured a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Poland to give themselves a lifeline in the Nations League.
Scotland needed a win to avoid automatic relegation and finished third in Group A1. They now face a relegation play-off to defend their place in the top tier of the competition.
Scotland made a lightning-quick start in Warsaw as John McGinn, who was rewarded with a place in the starting line-up after scoring the winner against Croatia, cushioned in his 20th goal for the national team after just three minutes.
Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay both hit the woodwork as they attempted to double their lead before the break, while Craig Gordon produced some fine saves to protect their advantage.
Kamil Piatowski's stunning strike pulled Poland level just before the hour-mark, but Andy Robertson, on his 80th appearance, proved the difference, rising high to send a towering header past Lukasz Skorupski in the 93rd minute.
Robertson is the first player to score a 90th-minute winner for Scotland since McTominay against Israel in a World Cup qualifier in October 2021.
It is the first time since March-September 2023 (a run of five) that Scotland have won back-to-back internationals, and Clarke was delighted to finish the Nations League group stage on a high.
"A good way to end this Nations League campaign. You always believe. It was a very open game, a lot of chances," Clarke said.
"We always felt one more chance would come, maybe not from the source it actually came from, but it was a fantastic cross from John Souttar, who was outstanding defensively, and a great header from the captain.
"We started with three defeats, three narrow defeats, with good performances. The players didn't lose belief. I didn't lose belief in the players, and they end up taking seven points from the last three games, which gets us into the play-off.
"The more you play at this level, the better you get. The players never lost belief.
"There's been a lot of good moments over my five-and-a-half years, and this is just another step on the journey."
The draw for the Nations League play-offs will take place on Friday, with the ties to be played in March.
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