PNE 3, Blackpool 0

DAVID Eyres sent Blackpool packing - and sent the Preston fans home full of festive cheer as North End notched up their first derby win at Deepdale for three years.

Former Bloomfield favourite Eyres engineer a win for Preston by displaying finishing which, quite rightly, earned him the man of the match award.

With 19 minutes remaining, and Blackpool looking like a side capable of taking a point from the game, Paul Beesley brought down Alex Mathie to concede a free kick 30 yards out.

David Eyres hit a stunning drive which flew past the static defenders and crashed against the underside of the bar for a goal of sheer quality.

Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Caig might just have been sitting next to me in the press box for all the chance he had of stopping it!

Just three minutes later, Michael Appleton powered a shot which hit a tangerine shirt before bouncing in the air. Appleton picked up the rebound to head the ball wide of Caig to make it 2-0. Blackpool's fans, devastated that their team couldn't muster the strength to hang on, headed for the exits. But Preston weren't done, and , four minutes from time, Eyres scored again.

Eyres battled for the ball some 30 yards out, running at the Blackpool defence before looking up and calmly placing it into the corner of the net. What a goal!

Eyres had started the game in the same fashion, hitting a stunning daisy cutter after just four minutes. Unlike his shots later in the game, this one crashed against the post.

However, it could have been totally different had Tepi Moilanen not made a good save from Phil Clarkson's angled shot and an even better one to claw Junior Bent's blockbuster around the post.

Preston worked hard to the three points, but Blackpool hung on for dear life until David Moyes made a clever tactical substitution.

Alex Mathie and Kurt Nogan came on for Bjarki Gunnlaugsson and Jon Macken - and what a difference it made!

This was a fine, battling team performance. At the back, Preston are solid, the midfield just oozes confidence and with several players able to lead the attack, North End look the part.

Pool manager Nigel Worthington announced his departure from the club on Thursday, four days after the drubbing.

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