Preston boss Craig Brown felt the physical demands of his side's last two games may have taken their toll after their disappointing goalless draw with Gillingham.

North End were were frustrated by a well-organised Gillingham side, who defended solidly and whose gameplan to leave Deepdale with a clean sheet worked to perfection.

It was all a far cry from Wednesday night when Preston and Sunderland played out a 3-3 thriller.

Brown said: "We didn't have the zip in us today that was required. They effectively frustrated us. They are very awkward opponents and came to get a draw.

"I don't like to make excuses. We have had two bruising away fixtures in which we competed very well. But today we needed an early goal.

"It was hard to maintain the tempo. If we had lost we would have been desperately unlucky. We probably got what we deserved - one point."

Preston should have had an injury-time winner but David Healy's dangerous strike was blocked by keeper Steve Banks' legs.

Brown threw on-loan Everton midfielder Scot Gemmill into the fray and deployed three strikers up front and another in a midfield role. They produced plenty of chances but lacked any sort of decisive touch in front of goal.

Ricardo Fuller, who last scored two months ago, could only rattle the crossbar with a great second-half shot. And Richard Cresswell, on something of a goal famine, was unable to do any better when his 25-yard effort flashed wide of the goal before the hour.

Gillingham, on the other hand, were able to build on last Saturday's win over Nottingham Forest.

Steve Banks was back in goal and was not greatly troubled for much of the afternoon.

Seventeen-year-old Matty Jarvis enjoyed a sparkling full debut and his cutting pass on 67 minutes deserved to see the unmarked Danny Spiller's strike hit the net.

They might even have been able to claim a penalty when Claude Davis appeared to make a rare error with a handball before the hour.

Player manager Andy Hessenthaler paid tribute to his men when he said: "I'm proud of them. I would have settled for a point with all the problems we have been having.

"There are 13 senior players missing which doesn't make it any easier. That just shows how the younger players that have come in have done fantastically well.

"In the first half we didn't believe in ourselves, didn't pass well enough. We told them so at half-time and in the second half we started believing we could get something out of the game."