Chorley 1 Preston North End 4 - Match report from Victory Park as Josh Ginnelly nets a hat-trick for PNE

The winger netted his treble inside 35 minutes as a strong PNE side had too much for their National League hosts in the first round tie.

Taylor Brickell found the net for the Magpies, with Josh Harrop completing the scoring for the Lilywhites in the second half.

All of North End's starting XI had first-team experience, showing the depth of squad Alex Neil has at his disposal at the moment.

First-year professional Adam O'Reilly played at right-back, the side skippered by Paul Huntington on his 32nd birthday.

Andrew Hughes got through an hour on his return from a month out with a hamstring injury, while David Nugent played the second half - his first competitive outing for PNE since returning to the club in the summer.

Chorley included former North End captain John Welsh in their midfield - Welsh playing as a trialist having been without a club since leaving Grimsby last season.

Welsh was inches away from finding the net with only 14 seconds on the clock, his lob from outside the box going over Connor Ripley but dipping just over the bar on to the top of the net.

PNE went in front in the fourth minute, Harrop's through ball playing Ginnelly clear.

As the Magpies appealed for offside, Ginnelly ran into the box and slipped a low finish past goalkeeper Danny Eccles.

Ginnelly should have scored again in the ninth minute but lifted a scooped a shot over the bar from just six yards after Andre Green's low cross had picked him out.

It needed a goalline clearance from Jordan Storey to keep the lead intact in the 13th minute.

O'Reilly's back pass fell short of Ripley, substitute Ryan Moore stealing in to take the ball round the keeper and shoot goalwards.

But his shot touched against the inside of the post and Storey got back to knock it clear.

Ginnelly made it 2-0 in the 20th minute, collecting a Harrop pass in the box, side-stepping a defender before rolling a low shot into the net

Within sixty seconds Chorley halved the deficit, 17-year-old Brickell's low drive from the right-hand corner of the box beating Ripley and nestling in the far bottom corner.

A 25-yard left-foot shot from Ryan Ledson was parried behind by Eccles diving to his left.

Ginnelly completed his hat-trick 10 minutes before the interval, Green's clearance from just outside his own box travelling over the top of the home defence for Ginnelly to chase.

He sprinted through the Chorley half, took the ball round Eccles who came charging out of the box, and ran the ball into the unguarded net.

Jayden Stockley should have scored on the stroke of half-time but glanced a header the wrong side of the far post from close range after meeting Harrop's free-kick.

Nugent came on at the start of the second half in place of Stockley, more than 12 years after his last competitive appearance in a Preston shirt.

He had the chance to score after intercepting a stray Chorley pass across the face of the box but drove a low shot across goal and just wide.

Moments before that at the other end, Elliott Newby hadn't been far off target with a shot from 20 yards.

PNE's fourth goal came in the 67th minute through Harrop.

The creator was Ledson who cut into the box from the left channel and when he was challenged, the ball ran to Harrop who made a yard of space for himself before curling a right-foot into the net from 15 yards.

North End went close again when substitute Lewis Coulton's cross was deflected against the far post, the rebound falling to Ginnelly who's close-range shot was superbly blocked by Eccles.

Chorley almost pulled a goal back in the 78th minute, Courtney Meppen-Walter' low shot looking destined for the net until Ripley got down and made a fine one-handed save.

Chorley: Eccles, Brickell, Ross, Meppen-Walters, Blakeman (Moore 5, Baldwin 73), Baines, Welsh (Steans 63), Flannagan, Newby, Dodds, Slew. Subs (not used): Stead, Barrow.

PNE: Ripley, O'Reilly, Storey, Huntington, Hughes (Coulton 61), Bayliss, Ledson (Baxter 73), Ginnelly, Harrop, Green, Stockley (Nugent 46). Subs (not used): Walker, Crowe.

Referee: Dean Watson (Rochdale)

Attendance: 457