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Preston NE 2 Derby County 0
Preston made it a happy Christmas for manager Alan Irvine by bagging all three points from a lively Boxing Day meeting with Derby County.
Goals from Sean St Ledger and Jon Parkin saw off Paul Jewell's side at Deepdale and set North End up for the second leg of their festive double-header at Barnsley on Sunday.
The winning margin could have been even greater had it not been for the woodwork and a couple of unfriendly decisions by referee Kevin Friend.
The Leicestershire official turned down two worthy penalty claims - one in particular by James Tomkins on Neil Mellor which saw Mr Friend roundly booed by the home crowd.
Preston's star performer was winger Ross Wallace who, watched by a posse of scouts, was a constant threat to the Rams, setting up both goals and slamming a free-kick against a post.
St Ledger put North End ahead just before the hour mark when he turned in a Wallace free-kick from close range.
The game was settled on 68 minutes when Wallace escaped down the left and sent over a cross which dropped perfectly for Parkin to chest down and hammer across keeper Stephen Bywater into the far corner.
Deepdale fell silent for 60 seconds before kick-off as a mark of respect for ex-manager John McGrath who died on Christmas Day 10 years ago.
But there was precious little to make a noise about when play got underway with neither side able to carve out a clear cut opening in the early stages.
Heel
The first half chance fell to big striker Jon Parkin after Ross Wallace had crossed from the left, but the ball hit his heel and rolled to keeper Stephen Bywater.
Wallace created an even better opportunity for Richard Chaplow when he pulled the ball back into his path, but the midfielder spooned his shot high over the bar.
And the tricky Scot then tried his hand at finishing instead of providing when a Mellor shot came out to him, but keeper Bywater pulled off a great save to keep his shot out.
From the resulting corner Billy Jones darted in to put a header over the bar.
Derby tested Andrew Lonergan for the first time after 20 minutes when Rob Hulse had a chance on the right of goal, but the keeper did well to palm it away.
Wallace tried another low shot at the other end only for Bywater to save at the foot of his neasr post.
Preston finally made the breakthrough just before the half hour mark when referee Kevin Friend upset the visiting fans by blowing for a foul on Chris Sedgwick on the right of the box.
Wallace whipped the free-kick into the middle, it picked its way untouched through a sea of players and there was St Ledger six yards out to turn it in, the keeper getting a touch but unable to prevent it rolling over the line.
The Derby fans let Mr Friend know in no uncertain terms what they thought with chants of "one-nil to the referee" ringing out from the Bill Shankly Kop.
Sliced
The Rams tried to respond immediately, but Lonergan pulled off an acrobatic save to turn Kris Commons' dipping free-kick over the top.
Wallace had looked so dangerous in the opening half hour and he had a great chance to double North End's lead seven minutes before the break when Parkin teed him up unmarked in front of goal, but surprisingly he sliced his shot wide of the target with only Bywater to beat.
Derby pressed forward in the closing minutes of the half looking to get on level terms, but Hul.se saw a shot saved low down by Lonergan and then headed over when Gary Teale's cross picked him out at the far post.
Just before the half-time whistle Park chested down a Wallace cross and volleyed inches wide of the target.
The second half opened with no sign of the pace dropping and North End being denied a penalty within the first two minutes.
Sedgwick sent Mellor away with a perfectly flighted ball over the top and as the striker got into the box her was brought down by defender James Tomkins, but referee Mr Friend stunned everyone by waving away loudf claims for a foul.
The home crowd were still booing him as Lewin Nyatanga hauled Mellor to the ground just a foot outside the area and the jeers turned to cheers as the official blew for the infringement.
From the free-kick Wallace bent the ball round the wall only for the shot to thump against the right-hand post and bounce awaay to safety.
Just after the hour mark Lonergan got across well to beat away a fiercely struck shot by sub Nacer Barazite.
Tangled
Referee Friend attracted more loud criticism from the home supporters for rejecting more claims for a penalty, this time when sub Stephen Elliott appeared to be brought down by keeper Bywater as the two tangled for the ball on the edge of the six-yard box.
But the dispute was soon forgotten as Preston doubled their lead in the 68th minute.
Inevitably Wallace was the provider after scampering away down the left, his cross was inch-perfect for Parkin to chest down and hammer a right-foot shot across Bywater into the far corner.
Derby still plugged away looking for some reward. But when they produced their best move of the second half for Green to tee up Hulse five yards out the striker ineplicably side-footed wide of the far post when it looked far easier to score.
Parkin went looking for his second of the game, dribbling into the box on the right only to toe-poke his shot into the side-netting.
Manager Alan Irvine had welcomed back three key players as Preston took on Derby County in the Boxing Day fixture at Deepdale.
Top scorer Neil Mellor, midfield playmaker Richard Chaplow and right-back Billy Jones all returned from injury and illness to strengthen the side beaten in a five-goal thriller at Queens Park Rangers before Christmas.
Their inclusion meant Chris Brown, Barry Nicholson and Eddie Nolan all stepped down to the substitutes' bench.
Stephen Elliott, who missed the trip to Loftus Road through injury, also returned to the 16.
Derby, who North End took a point from at Pride Park only last month, made two changes to the side which ended a six-game slump by winning at home to Watford last weekend.
Back came Paul Green in the centre of midfield and top scorer Rob Hulse up front.
Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Davidson, Sedgwick, Chaplow, McKenna, Wallace, Parkin, Mellor.
Substitutes: Brown, Nicholson, Nolan, Elliott, Neal.
Derby County: Bywater, Albrechtsen, Nyatanga, Tomkins, Stewart, Teale, Addison, Green, Commons, Ellington, Hulse.
Substitutes: Price, Varney, Davies, Barazite, Barnes.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
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Weather for Preston
Friday 25 May 2012
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