Match report: Morecambe 1 PNE 4

Preston North End enjoyed a comfortable victory over Morecambe at the Globe Arena in their penultimate pre-season friendly.
Morecambe v PNEMorecambe v PNE
Morecambe v PNE

Callum Robinson struck twice, his double sandwiching a stunning finish from Ben Pringle and a Jordan Hugill header.

Robinson, who signed permanently for PNE this summer after three spells on loan, opened the scoring with a close-range finish in the 23rd minute

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The lead was doubled by Pringle before half-time, the midfielder turning almost full circle 25 yards out before finding the net with a shot which went in off the inside of the far post.

Hugill headed the third from a Robinson cross in the 71st minute, before Tom Barkhuizen pulled a goal back for the Shrimps after being put clear.

Robinson netted North End's fourth goal nine minutes from time with a crisp finish from just inside the box.

It was a pleasing work-out for the visitors and for Morecambe - Jim Bentley giving his starting line-up plenty of time on the pitch before making substitutions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Simon Grayson's starting XI had included a number of players who had been on the bench in last Saturday's draw with Stoke City.

Liam Grimshaw started at right-back, with Paul Huntington and Bailey Wright in the centre of defence and Ben Davies at left-back.

Pringle and Robinson started in wide roles, Ben Pearson and John Welsh in the middle.

Up front, Hugill partnered Eoin Doyle.

It was Morecambe who made a lively start. Ryan Edwards arriving unmarked at the back post inside the first minute to meet a cross, only to put his shot across the face of Chris Maxwell's goal and wide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barkhuizen's clever pass sent Aaron Wildig clear in the sixth minute, Wildig's low shot forcing Maxwell to save with his legs at the near post.

North End's first real sight of goal was a 20-yard shot from Hugill which just cleared the bar, the front man having linked well with Doyle in the build-up.

Another chance for Morecambe saw Barkhuizen in space down the side of the box, but rather than cross, he chose to try and beat Maxwell at the near post and the keeper blocked comfortably.

The Lilywhites took the lead in the 23rd minute, Pringle's pass sending Hugill clear down the right side of the box, his low cross picking out Robinson who had the simple task of side-footing over the line from three yards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Robinson went close soon after, this time from much further out, the former Aston Villa man's 25-yard free-kick flying into the side-netting as Shrimps keeper Barry Roache scrambled across his goal.

Morecambe responded with Wilding forcing Maxwell into a diving save.

Doyle went close for North End with a low shot from the side of the box which flashed across goal and wide of the far post, Pringle's pass having played him into a shooting position.

They doubled the lead in some style seven minutes before the interval, Pringle netting his first goal in Preston colours.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pearson won a tackle in midfield, the ball rolling to Pringle outside the box who swivelled to leave his marker on the floor, before pinging a beauty of a left-foot shot across Roache and into the net off the inside of the far post.

Grayson made three changes for the start of the second half, Tommy Spurr, Alan Browne and Chris Humphrey replacing Wright, Pringle and Welsh.

In the 48th minute, Robinson had three attempts at getting a shot away as the ball bounced around in the six-yard box, eventually putting the ball into the side netting.

The next chance which came North End's way soon after, saw Robinson strike a fierce low cross into the box which Humphrey just failed to get on the end of as he slid in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Just past the hour, Robinson's corner from the left found Huntington at the near post, his flicked header forcing Roache to dive backwards and claw the ball away.

Huntington banged his shoulder in the process and gave way to skipper Tom Clarke.

The visitors continued to press, a rising shot from Humphrey clearing the bar after the winger had cut inside - using the overlapping Grimshaw as a decoy on the outside.

Preston's third goal came in the 71st minute, Robinson's cross from the left channel met by Hugill who rose inside the six-yard box at the near post to power a header into the roof of the net.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Morecambe briefly reduced the deficit 11 minutes from time, substitute Paul Mullin's through ball opening-up the North End defence for Barkhuizen to run clear and tuck a confident finish past Maxwell.

However, the three-goal cushion was soon restored through Robinson's second goal of the evening.

A pass from Clive Smith found him just inside the box, Robinson picking his spot with a low right-foot drive into the far bottom corner.

Morecambe: Roche, Wakefield, Edwards, Winnard (Whitmore 71), Conlan, Fleming (Kenyon 71), Trialist, Barkhuizen, Wildig (Turner 71), Molyneux (Ellison 71), Stockton (Mullin 71). Subs: Trialist, McGowan, Mullin, Trialist

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

PNE: Maxwell, Grimshaw (Smith 71), Huntington (Clarke 63), Wright (Spurr 46), Davies, Pearson, Welsh (Humphrey 46), Pringle (Browne 46), Robinson, Doyle, Hugill. Sub: Hudson.

Referee: Darren Handley (Bolton)

Attendance: 1,252 (554 PNE)