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An early goal from Mike Jones earned Crawley victory and condemned Preston to their first defeat in five games.

Midfielder Jones broke the deadlock after only six minutes with a 25-yard bouncing shot.

The hosts continued to dominate, as Josh Simpson shot over and Paul Hayes was denied by Thorsten Stuckmann.

Preston improved after introducing three substitutes in the second half, and almost snatched a point when Jack King headed against the bar.

The defeat also means Preston are certain to finish in the bottom half of League One, while 10th-placed Crawley are now guaranteed a top-half finish in their first season in the third tier of English football.