PRESTON Hockey Club claimed their first league victory of the season on Saturday with a 7-3 defeat of Deeside Ramblers.

Preston finally found the scoring touch to embellish the finesse of their build-up play.

Skipper Luke Watson scored four times, the rejuvenated Luke Wilson twice and new boy Carl Sanderson notched his first Preston goal.

Each white shirt chivied and harried their Deeside counterparts with a determination and hunger.

David Sullivan, embodied this spirit, with a series of breathtaking tackles, each executed with unerring accuracy and conviction.

The Deeside goal area was quickly under siege as Preston continually carved open the home defence.

Jim Gibbons missed from close range and then Wilson went close with a snap-shot. Eventually, though, Preston's persistence was rewarded. Watson played a neat one-two with Jim Blackburn before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.

One quickly became two as the unmarked Wilson tapped in from close range following a powerful short corner strike from Nick Sutcliffe. With Deeside's bemused defence at odds, Preston attacked from all angles. Blackburn was cutting in from the left with his usual panache whilst Watson orchestrated proceedings from centre-half.

Watson then claimed his second when he swept in a cleverly switched penalty corner. Three goals to the good and seemingly no way back for the hosts.

But Preston inexplicably left their back door ajar and were duly punished. Deeside's Handley walked the ball in the net after a slick three man move had left Simon Eccleston stranded.

Immediately after the restart, Deeside pulled another goal back with a well struck penalty corner. That was a proper goal!, crowed the Deeside faithful.

Their new found optimism was quickly eradicated though as Watson waltzed his way through the home defence before slipping the ball cooly past the keeper.

Wilson then claimed a wonderful second after being released by Watson. The forward carried on where he left off last Sunday by rounding the keeper and slotting in from an acute angle. Deeside briefly rallied again by scoring a third, but it wasn't long before the home goalkeeper was picking the ball out of the net again.

This time Sanderson adroitly deflected a fiercely hit cross by Blackburn through the legs of the keeper for Preston's sixth. Watson compounded Deeside's misery by nut-megging the keeper for a deserved seventh.

On Saturday Preston face loval rivals Springfields at West Cliff.