WIGAN ATHLETIC 1 PNE 4

November 22

IN front of an all-ticket full house, North End excelled in a derby with a finishing performance that was as good as anything they have produced all season.

Preston started in lively fashion with Tony Lormor shooting wide from a good position, but North End missed a gilt-edged opportunity to go in front when Lormor set up Mark Rankine, unmarked, twelve yard out but he delayed his shot and that gave Lee Butler time to get across goal and make a fine save.

Jackson and Kidd had a stranglehold on the Wigan attack of David Lowe and Graeme Jones and it came as no surprise when Preson broke the deadlock.

Appleton was sent clear on the left, he went round the keeper leaving him stranded outside the box and he played in a lovely ball which Lee Cartwright swept into the net.

Preston led by that goal at half-time but they had to hang on grimly in the early stages of the second as Wigan tried for an equaliser and Moilanen made a fine save from Lowe.

As Wigan kept up the pressure, ex-North End defender Colin Greenall came forward in support of the attack and he hit a daisy-cutter which again the Finnish keeper kept out.

North End weathered the storm and Cartwright produced some neat skill to get clear of the Wigan back four and he hit a powerful shot which Butler got to but couldn't keep out and the Preston supporters went wild.

But back came Wigan with a lovely goal by Ian Kilford from a difficult angle and we had a match on again.

Preston had some anxious moments, but rallied and when the ball was played out to Appleton on the left, he cut inside opening up the Wigan defence. Cartwright made a decoy run across the box leaving Ashcroft in the clear and the Preston striker hammered a low shot into the bottom corner.

Preston won a corner on the left and Appleton's cross was met Kidd, who sent a brilliant header high into the top of the net to complete the scoring.

Preston stroked the ball around the park, keeping possession in the closing minutes and it was nice to see the players playing with so much confidence.

Kevin Keegan and Fulham come to Deepdale on Saturday (Nov 29) as Preston try to put an end to a run of four consecutive league defeats at Deepdale.

It won't be easy, but if North End can reproduce this performance, particularly in the business of putting the ball into the net, then the men from the banks of the River Thames may have a fruitless journey.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.