Bradford City 0 Preston North End 4 - Match report as PNE reach the second round of the Carabao Cup

Preston North End moved comfortably into the second round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Bradford City at the Utilita Energy Stadium.
Tom Barkhuizen scores Preston's third goal at BradfordTom Barkhuizen scores Preston's third goal at Bradford
Tom Barkhuizen scores Preston's third goal at Bradford

Tom Barkhuizen netted twice, Andre Green scored his first North End goal while josh Harrop scored on his return to competitive action after 10 months out following knee surgery.

It was Green who opened the scoring in the 13th minute, volleying home a Tom Clarke cross.

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Barkhuizen latched on to a Ryan Ledson pass to double the lead, with the winger making it 3-0 early in the second half when he capitalised on a mistake by Banatams right-back Anthony O'Connor.

Andre Green celebrates opening the scoring for Preston at BradfordAndre Green celebrates opening the scoring for Preston at Bradford
Andre Green celebrates opening the scoring for Preston at Bradford

Harrop had only been on the pitch a minute as a substitute when he scored the fourth goal, with the help of a deflection off a Bradford defender.

North End manager Alex Neil had changed the entire starting XI from last Saturday's 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Alan Browne started at right-back with Joe Rafferty on the left, either side of Clarke and Jordan Storey.

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Tom Bayliss made his PNE debut alongside Ledson in midfield, Brad Potts playing forward of them behind striker Jayden Stockley. Barkhuizen was on the right-wing and Green on the left.

Preston centre-half Jordan Storey tussles with PNE old boy Eoin DoylePreston centre-half Jordan Storey tussles with PNE old boy Eoin Doyle
Preston centre-half Jordan Storey tussles with PNE old boy Eoin Doyle

The bench was loaded with five first-team regulars, together with young winger Ethan Walker and third-choice keeper Michael Crowe.

The new-look side settled quickly, playing the better football in the opening stages and two goals in the space of six minutes put them in command.

They took the lead in the 13th minute, the origins of the goal coming with a corner from the left which Green played into the box.

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It was cleared out of the box with the ball going for a throw-in on the far side.

Tom Bayliss on his Preston debut against Bradford CityTom Bayliss on his Preston debut against Bradford City
Tom Bayliss on his Preston debut against Bradford City

Browne took a quick throw-in to Clarke, the skipper delivered a cross into the middle which Green met on the volley from six yards to give keeper Sam Horny no chance.

North End struck while the iron was hot, netting their second in the 19th minute.

Ledson was the creator, threading a fine pass from midfield through the Bantams defence which Barkhuizen ran on to and slid a low shot past the advancing Hornby.

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They should really have scored again before the half-hour mark, Potts seeing a header partly cleared with the ball falling to Green.

The winger drove a shot goalwards but it hit team-mate Stockley and bounced clear.

Bradford came more into the game, trying to attack Preston down the sides but without too much joy.

Just before the interval, a low shot from Jermaine Anderson travelled straight through to Connor Ripley to gather.

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The home side started the second half well and gave North End a couple of scares.

With less than two minutes of the second half played, Connor Wood cut inside from the left channel and hit a right-foot shot which dipped over the diving Ripley but cannoned back off the bar.

Wood's cross then found Daniel Devine's run into the box but Devine out his effort wide of the near post.

Not long after that pair of chances, PNE were gifted their third goal by a mistake from O'Connor.

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He played the ball across the face of his own penalty box, Barkhuizen needing no second invitation to intercept it, take the ball into the box and steer a left-foot shot past the keeper.

Bayliss was inches away from a debut goal with a rising right-foot shot from the edge of the box which just cleared the bar.

The fourth goal in the 72nd minute was a big moment for Harrop in his first competitive appearance since rupturing his cruciate ligament last September.

He replaced Stockley as PNE first substitution of the night and inside a minute had his name on the scoresheet.

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Collecting a ball forward from the back, Harrop took three touches to go past a couple of defenders and with his fourth touch hit a right-foot shot which clipped off a Bradford boot and looped over the keeper into the net.

Josh Ginnelly and then Walker were then summoned from the bench to give them a run in the latter stages, Walker teeing-up Harrop for a shot which he lifted too high.

Bradford: Hornby, A O'Connor, P O'Connor, French, Longridge, Devine, Akpan, Anderson, Scannell, Wood, Doyle. Subs (not used): Mellor, Richards-Everton, Donaldson, Palmer, Patrick, Colville, O'Donnell.

PNE: Ripley, Browne, Clarke, Storey, Rafferty, Bayliss, Ledson, Barkhuizen, Potts (Walker 80), Green (Ginnelly 72), Stockley (Harrop 71). Subs (not used): Pearson, Davies, Maguire, Crowe.

Referee: Matthew Donohue (Manchester)

Attendance: 3,456 (917 PNE)