Chris Sedgwick hit a superb volley to put Preston into the fourth round of the FA Cup - but his side had to do it the hard way as they came from behind to beat Crewe at Deepdale.

Preston were booed off after a poor first half in which Richard Walker gave Crewe a 34th-minute lead following an error by home goalkeeper Carlo Nash.

But they showed greater purpose after the interval with Graham Alexander equalising with a 61st-minute free-kick before Sedgwick capped a man-of-the-match performance with an 86th-minute winner.

The two sides are going through very different form in the Coca-Cola Championship, with Preston on a 16-match unbeaten run while Crewe are without a win in 10.

But it was bottom club Crewe which edged the first half, their first chance coming in the eighth minute.

Gary Roberts delivered a deep cross from the right and Chris McCready headed narrowly wide at the back post.

Preston stuck with patient approach play, which eventually resulted in midfielder Sedgwick cutting into the right side of the box in the 22nd minute.

Simon Tomlinson was making his first senior start in the visitors' goal but was alert to save Sedgwick's low drive at the near post.

Preston coach Billy Davies was short of options in the centre of midfield but was pleased to welcome Lewis Neal back from injury.

In the 27th minute he played the ball into David Nugent on the edge of the box before collecting the return, but then scuffed his shot.

Crewe then took the lead after captain Kenny Lunt launched a free-kick into the Preston box. Nash missed his punch, and although Chris Lucketti got back to stop the ball on the line, Walker, returning to the side after five games out through injury, was on hand to stab the ball home.

Nugent and Sedgwick shot narrowly off target before half-time, and they emerged with more purpose after the interval, although the closest they came before the hour mark was a 25-yard effort from Callum Davidson which was deflected inches wide.

Crewe almost gave themselves breathing space in the 60th minute when Nash saved well after Billy Jones turned another Lunt free-kick goalwards.

And that proved to be the turning point as just a minute later Preston were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and Alexander's right-footed effort sailed in with Tomlinson either unsighted or wrong-footed by a slight deflection.

That goal inspired Preston and there was only one winner from there on in.

First Sedgwick fired wide from the edge of the box before Claude Davis advanced forward and had a low drive saved comfortably by Tomlinson.

With 14 minutes remaining, substitute David Hibbert set up Neal, whose shot was tipped over by Tomlinson.

Davies gave a new dimension to his attack by replacing Neal with Danny Dichio and the tall striker played a vital role in the winner.

The ball bounced kindly for Dichio on the edge of the box and he headed it wide for Sedgwick to lash a right-footed volley beyond the reach of Tomlinson and into the far corner.

Teams:

Preston Nash, Alexander, Mawene (Anyinsah 62), Lucketti, Davis, Davidson, Sedgwick, Mears, Lewis Neal (Dichio 77), Agyemang (Hibbert 57), Nugent.

Subs Not Used: Chris Neal, Elebert.

Goals: Alexander 62, Sedgwick 86.

Crewe Tomlinson, Moss, Walker, McCready, Billy Jones (Varney 83), Lunt, Moses, Gary Roberts, Vaughan (Bell 75), Rivers, Higdon.

Subs Not Used: Bignot, Ofon Williams.

Goals: Billy Jones 35.

Att: 8,380

Ref: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).