POMPEY 0 - PRESTON 1

PORTSMOUTH should today discover whether Huddersfield have accepted a £750,000 bid for left-back Jamie Vincent.

Player-manager Steve Claridge has already been knocked back by Coventry striker John Aloisi, who has rejected the chance to return to Fratton Park, despite the Sky Blues accepting an undisclosed bid for the 24-year-old Australian.

Yet after Saturday's woeful 1-0 defeat by an impressive Preston side at Fratton Park, thanks to David Healy's 26th minute volley, Claridge is desperate to improve the quality in his squad.

He said: "Jamie Vincent will give us that extra dimension. But if we don't get a deal on Monday then it is off. We've waited a long time."

Huddersfield boss Lou Macari is determined to keep hold of the former Bournemouth player, who left Dean Court in a £440,000 move in 1999.

Macari rejected an undisclosed bid for the player two weeks ago but Portsmouth refused to take no for an answer. Vincent was left out of the Huddersfield team which drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and Macari admitted: "It is not my desire to let him go.

"My only thoughts are on First Division survival and I don't think selling Vincent would help us. I have rejected a formal bid but the speculation won't go away and it is unsettling for the player. As far as I am concerned he stays here, but maybe it is not as simple as that."

Claridge hasn't given up all hope of landing Aloisi either. His £650,000 sale to Coventry in 1998 has always rankled with Portsmouth fans, after it was revealed City were prepared to pay over £1million for a player who scored 22 times that season.

Claridge added: "I have still got a chance of getting Aloisi. We'll see what happens later. I did speak to him and I was disappointed he turned us down. He just said he wanted to give it a little more time at Coventry."

On the pitch, Portsmouth were well beaten by a Preston team who came into the game with five defeats on the spin. But they sewed up the match in midfield, who linked up well with a potent three-man attacking line-up.

Lee Bradbury was sent off after 76 minutes for stamping on Colin Murdock. Claridge had no complaints about the dismissal, as Bradbury faces a three-match ban.

David Healy, a £1.5million signing from Manchester United last month, ran the show up front, and could have claimed a hat-trick. He struck home a sweet volley mid-way through the first half..

Another former Manchester United star, Lee Sharpe, fizzed in and out of the first game of a month's loan from Bradford City.

Sharpe said: "I could feel how unfit I was for the last 20 minutes. It was a disappointing result in the end, but I'm sure we can improve on that next week."

POMPEY: Flahavan, Hiley, Moore, Crowe, Miglioranzi (sub: Thogersen, 66), Derry, Quashie, Sharpe (sub: Rudonja, 78), Panopoulos, Claridge, Bradbury. Subs (not used): Tardif, Waterman, Nightingale.

Booked: Derry, Hiley. Sent-off: Bradbury.

PRESTON: : Moilanen, Parkinson, Murdock, Jackson, Edwards, Rankine, McKenna, Cartwright, Healey (sub: Barry-Murphy, 70), McBride, Macken (sub: Gunnlaugsson, 83). Subs (not used): Lucas, Eaton, Anderson.

Referee: F Stretton (Nottingham)

Attendance: 13,331

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