Bamber Bridge 2 Squires Gate 2

Bamber Bridge and Squires Gate drew their FA Cup match 2-2 in front of 264 at Bamber Bridge's Sir Tom Finney Stadium. Only Bridge will know how they did not win this match having missed more than enough chances to win three or four games, but credit were credit is due Gate kept plugging away with a never say die attitude which eventually gave them a draw.
Bridge from the division above are a rather physical side who have a simple approach, get it behind the opponents back four with long balls(hoofs). It worked a treat for most of the match however in the first half they were denied by Fletcher in the Gate goal who pulled off three excellent saves.
Eventually Bridge took the lead when Gate failed to clear a corner and Bell rifled the ball home. The goal gave the home side confidence and they pushed on for more goals but after 34 minutes Gate equalised. Little had been seen of the Gate forward line until full back Richards got the ball 40 yards out and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Dovey in the home goal. Soon after McKenna tried his luck with another effort from distance for Gate and this went narrowly over the bar.
Second half Bridge controlled going close several times before they were awarded a penalty for a clumsy foul in the box. Bell sent the keeper the wrong way sadly though for the guy stood 10 yards to the right of the goal, the ball cleaned his pint out of his hand.
Bridge began to lose their way and were now just aimlessly booting the ball down field. 
Seven minutes left and Bridge took a deserved lead with Bell firing home from a corner. It looked the winning goal until out of the blue again McKendrick fired home a 2nd goal for Gate to taken the game to a replay on Tuesday.

Bamber Bridge 2 Squires Gate 2 Att 264


http://youtu.be/rizS-PQngLk


http://youtu.be/dH_YOnMcYl8

Paint pot win

A much changed Preston side duly beat an also slightly understrength Shrewsbury side in the first round of the JPT at Deepdale in front of a decent 4000 gate.
North End without players due to international call ups started well and were passing the ball about with some finese and had one early chance with a Laird header just saved by Leutwiler. 
After an entertaining 10 minutes the game started to resemble a pre season friendly, lots of nice football which went absolutely nowhere, just before half time the torpor was broken when North End were awarded a free kick, the free kick came to nothing but the referee used the spray to mark 10 yard for the first time on the historic Deepdale turf. By half time Shrewsbury were ahead by 2 sprays to one, leading to the question, do away sprays count double?
The second half was slightly better as both teams were more attacking and after 57 minutes North End scored what proved to be the winning goal.
Woods persistance down the right hand side saw him square the ball across the face of the goal for Hugill to beat his marker and score.
The Shrews struck back with Akpa Akpro bringing a good save from the largely under employed Stuckmann. Shrewsbury brought on Collins and Vernon to beef up their attack but apart from a couple of scrambles in the Preston goalmouth and a Collins shot, North End were not really tested at the back.
Browne and Garner should have scored at the end but it didn't really matter North End were in the pot for the next round.

Preston North End 1 Shrewsbury TOWN 0 Att 4005

Lancaster City 1 Clitheroe 3

A day to forget for the home faithful as Lancaster slumped to a home defeat against localish rivals Clitheroe, although for the first 30 minutes you could not have predicted that Clitheroe would ease to victory.
By the time Taylor had eased City into a 7th minute lead, they had already three easy chances and had a goal disallowed.

Following the goal City dominated and really should have killed the game off but by half time the home side were trailing 1-2. Two goals in a minute by Clitheroe completely turned the game. The first from the penalty spot following a clumsy foul, Wilkins blasted the ball down the middle. Almost immediately substitute Morton made it 2-1.
A bright start by City in the second half was soon ended by a second Clitheroe penalty again a clumsy foul. Wilkins sent the ball to the left, keeper Hale could not save it 1-3.
Ex England international made a substitute appearance for the home side, his back header narly reduced the arrears but hit the bar.

Clitheroe duly took the points, on this showing City look lightweight and will struggle against the better sides in this league on this showing.

Lancaster City 1 Clitheroe 3 Att 264

Poor but win

Preston duly beat Oldham 1-0 in a game which they were fortunate to come away with a win. North End scored within the first five minutes of the game, Clarke should have headed home but completely messed up his header, luckily if fell to King who blasted home from 12 yards.
Oldham passed the ball about as they do, but apart from an exocet of a shot by Elokobi and a Clarke-Harris which was deflected for a corner create little. North End apart from the goal created less.
Oldham should have been level straight after the break Forte headed wide when he should have scored. Oldham dominated possession but found it hard work against the resolute home defence. Clarke-Harris brought a good save from Jones and sub Morgan-Smith should have done better but missed when well placed.
North End offered little apart from a mazy run by Browne from the cross Garner should have scored.
The classic poor performance which gets you 3 points.

Preston North End 1 Oldham Athletic 0 Att 11000

Late drama

Point won or two dropped hard to call, Jones' inability to catch the ball all night cost Preston three points when he flapped at a cross in the 94th minute from the scramble that followed Nathan Tyson bundled the ball home to level the score. To be fair to Doncaster they deserved something from the match having dominated for a large swathe of the game, they also had the standout player in Coppinger.
A bright start by both sides with Garner trying his luck from about 80 yards and a Wright thunderbolt which went just over.
The game then reduced intensity and became like a pre season friendly, until Coppinger decided to take on North End. Running at the defenders he caused all sorts of danger, one run ended with a cross cum shot whizzing narrowly across the face of the goal.
A Doncaster free kick 40 yards out nearly caught Jones off guard, scrambling the ball too safety. There was little of note until North End took the lead when Doncaster failed to clear a corner and Humphreys blasted home from 20 yards.
North End looked to be heading for three points until Tyson scored.


Doncaster Rovers 1 Preston North End 1 Att 6513

Easy in the East

Apart from an awful first ten minutes Preston cruised to victory over a very average Scunthorpe side at a distinctly chilly Glandford Park. B y the time North End eventually took control Madden had hit the bar for the home side and Myrie-Williams had brought a fine save from Jones. North End began to press forward and Garner fired in a shot which hit the Pukka Pie sign a the top of the stand. 
It was time for the much maligned Chris Humphreys to take charge down the right he bombed putting in a cross which gave Garner plenty of time to fire past Severn in the Scunny goal. 
Down the wing went Humphreys again, he cut into the box fired in the cross which Llera oblingingly poked into his own net. The away side then hit the post and were running riot past the very flimsy home defence.
Within minutes of the restart Humphreys again speeded down the right, cut inside the defender and fired home with his left foot, game well and truly over.
United had a couple of chances Llera had a header well saved and they also hit a post.
A blunder at the back let in Garner, he missed the chance with two team mates in better positions to score. Not to worry though Garner and Brownhill combined and Garner headed home a canny goal to finish the scoring.
Easy peasy sterner tests await.

Scunthorpe United 0 Preston North End 4 Att 4000

Win and draw

1.45pm Burneside's opening batsmen departs after getting a first ball duck, by 2.50pm we had won the game, I managed nearly to touch the ball once, getting a finger nail to a dolly catch which hit the ground.
Five minutes to half time arrived at Deepdale to see a County forward's feeble effort on goal.
Just on half time a Browne header was cleared off the County line. Goal less at half time apparently County had wasted time gone down with fake injuries during the first half.
The second half was dull, County took the lead after some iffy home defending, with Cassidy scoring from an acute angle. North End were made to struggle as the experienced County midfield of Jones and ex England international Alan Smith took control. Only a speculative effort from 40 yards and a Browne shot tested Carroll in the County goal.
In the final few minutes County started to waste, the ebole virus struck several County players who went down injured. They have a female physio, not saying she was slow but she was slow.
With injury time approaching North End stole a point, Hayhurst battled well to win a throw, which was taken quickly, Davies B arrived at the feet of Garner who scored.
To be fair the part of the game I saw County deserved to win but they didn't. Early days but PNE need to up their game.


Preston North End 1 Notts County 1 Att 12500