TWO clinical finished from Yakubu were enough to end Preston's cup dream - and their run of 25-game unbeaten run.

The Nigerian striker scored twice in the second half, having already became the home fans' hate figure for the match following several 'dying swan' dives.

But it was the way Boro's top-scorer took his chances that Preston boss Billy Davies wants his young players to remember.

He said: "The quality of the finish, particularly for the first goal, was magnificent and I said that to some of the younger lads like David Nugent.

"He's had four great shots over the bar and that is the difference between the Championship and the Premiership.

"I said to our players, look at the stats. We can talk about possession but the stats: on target four shots, off target seven shots. That's us.

"Then look at them: on target three times and they scored three goals.

"It's a very big lesson and that lesson is that you have to be more clinical if you are going to make that dominance pay off.

"But don't get me wrong, we haven't let anybody down."

For the first 45 minutes, it was hard to determine which side was in the Premiership and which one was aspiring to be.

North End's midfield bossed their higher-league opponents, out-fighting, out-running and generally out-playing Boro.

And they did have the first chance on goal too. Chris Sedgwick flicked David Nugent's near-post cross straight at keeper Mark Schwarzer.

Nugent then broke forward from midfield in the 12th minute to unleash a shot at goal which deflected for a corner.

He then forced a save from Schwarzer with a 25-yard effort.

Boro finally tested their former keeper, Carlo Nash, in the 31st minute when Stewart Downing tried to get a free-kick past him.

Visiting boss Steve McClaren's reponse was to bring on Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink in the second-half in favour of youngster Tony McMahon.

And it was the Dutch forward who set up Yakubu for Boro's opener six minutes into the second half.

He flicked on Franck Quedrue's long throw to Yakubu, who blasted a half-volley past Nash from the edge of the area.

North End hit back with a rifled Nugent shot which went off-target, before Youl Mawene's header in the 65th minute forced a stretched save from Schwarzer.

Yakubu, however, doubled Boro's lead on 77 minutes when Downing lifted a free-kick over the North End defence, enabling the former Portsmouth striker to stoop to head home for his 18th goal of the season.

Any hopes of a serious North End comeback were dashed when they were denied an 80th minute penalty after substitute Danny Dichio was shoved over by Quedrue.