Preston NE 2 Sheffield United 1
Preston North End returned to winning ways with victory over Sheffield United at Deepdale on Tuesday night.
Debutant Matt James and striker Jon Parkin netted for PNE, a late Mark Yeates goal proving just a consolation for the visitors.
North End's start to the clash was a great deal more upbeat than in recent matches.
Within four minutes, the recalled Chris Sedgwick made a great surging run down the inside-right channel, cut into the box and fired a shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
James, on loan from Manchester United, scored in the 10th minute, Ross Wallace's pass playing in Parkin on the left-wing.
The Beast showed a nice bit of trickery for a big man, turning his marker and cutting in towards the box.
His cross into the box found Danny Welbeck who laid the ball back into James' path, the teenager's 20-yard daisy-cutter catching a big deflection off Nyron Nosworthy to wrong-foot keeper Ian Bennett.
Paul Coutts saw a shot from distance hit a defender and loop into the gloves of Bennett, then a corner from the recent signing was flicked goalwards by Welbeck, the keeper saving at the second attempt.
The Blades went close to an equaliser in the 21st minute, Ched Evans drilling a low shot from the edge of the box inches past the post.
Parkin was denied by the woodwork seven minutes later, his sweetly-struck shot from a Wallace pass crashing back off the underside of the bar.
He then curled another effort over the top, but only as North End appealed in vain for a penalty after Welbeck had his legs whipped from under him by Nosworthy.
The busy Parkin stabbed a shot on to the top of the net after Sedgwick and Welbeck had linked up down the right to create the opening.
North End survived a scare just 15 seconds into the second half, Mark Yeates finding himself in acres of space on the right side of the box after some hesitant home defending.
He struck a low, angled shot which took a touch off the diving Andrew Lonergan and hit the inside of the far post.
Yeates then curled a shot wide of the target from the edge of the box as the Blades came out with the bit between their teeth after the interval.
Parkin tested Bennett with a shot from outside the box, the effort thumping into the keeper's gloves.
Then Sedgwick fired wide from a tight angle at the far post, while Wallace dragged a low shot off target with his weaker right foot.
North End's second goal came in the 71st minute, Welbeck getting a shove in the back from Nosworthy as he chested down a Wallace cross.
Referee Eddie Ilderton pointed to the spot, one of the few decisions the North East official called right during the evening.
Parkin stepped up, his penalty parried by Bennett but falling straight back to him, the burly striker making no mistake with the rebound.
United reduced the deficit with nine minutes left, Yeates firing home from 10 yards after the North End defence failed to clear their lines.
PNE: Lonergan, Hart, Mawene, St Ledger, Jones, Sedgwick, Coutts, James, Wallace, Parkin, Welbeck. Subs: Collins, Chilvers, Mellor, Brown, Treacy, Carter, Henderson.
United: Bennett, Nosworthy, Kallio, Montgomery, Geary, Yeates, Williamson, Quinn, Bartley, Evans, Cresswell. Subs: France, Henderson, Ward, Stewart, Aksalu, Fortune, Camara.
Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne and Wear).
>> See Wednesday's Lancashire Evening Post for a full match report, reaction and pictures
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Weather for Preston
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
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