Leyton Orient assistant manager Marcello Donatelli praised his side's character and fighting spirit after rescuing a 2-2 draw at Preston.

The O's led early on through David Mooney but were trailing with less than 15 minutes remaining. However Chris Dagnall struck for Orient against the League One promotion contenders to earn them an important point in their battle against relegation. 

Donatelli, who spoke to the media because manager Fabio Liverani was suffering from a fever, said: "They have 20 points more than us but with sacrifices and will we managed to get this result. It was a good performance. It is positive because we gained a good point. 

"It is very important for the character, personality and for the self esteem. This point will give the team a lot of confidence."

He added: "It was a more difficult game because we have played against a team that is very strong physically and technically so it was a good point for us.

"We have played a good defensive game because Preston are strong opponents so congratulations to the players for this point."

The O's two goals were well taken by their forwards and Donatelli was impressed with the quality of their strikes. 

The Italian said: "We scored two very good goals. The first one Mooney managed to get behind the two midfielders of Preston. With the second one, Dagnall is a very good player and he scored a very pretty goal. They were two different goals."