Morecambe manager Sammy McIlroy has admitted defeat in his bid to bring Preston striker Brett Ormerod to Christie Park in a loan deal.Ormerod has fallen out of favour at Deepdale recently but has been told he will not be allowed to leave following Craig Beattie's hamstring injury at Leicester in midweek.

Beattie sustained the injury on his debut at the Walkers Stadium to overshadow North End's 1-0 win and is set to remain sidelines for at least a fortnight.

McIlroy told the Lancashire Evening Post: "We had virtually agreed everything for Brett to come on loan to Morecambe and then there was the unfortunate injury to Beattie.

"That was a terrible disappointment because that has virtually killed any hope of the deal happening now because Alan (Irvine) needs to keep Brett at Deepdale at the moment.

"Also another club had arrived on the scene with far more spending power than us and I think if Brett went anywhere now it would be there."

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