PNE Retro: North End defy late pressure to beat Wigan Atheltic last time out, with Joe Gelhardt shining off the bench

PNE won the game 2-1 with early goals in each half from Tom Barkhuizen and Daniel Johnson, the goals seeing each to 10 for the campaign, before Cedric Kipre got a goal back and made it a nervy finish.

It kept up Alex Neil’s strong form in local derbies, against a Latics side that would go on to finish 13th in the second tier but spend their next season fighting for survival in League One.

This was a fourth away victory of the season for Alex Neil's men and a fifth successive game on their travels unbeaten.

The game's first chance fell the way of Wigan, Jamal Lowe escaping the attentions of Darnell Fisher to cut inside and hit a shot across goal which Declan Rudd dived to push past the far post.

PNE went ahead in the fifth minute with a goal of real quality in the build-up.

Scott Sinclair collected possession down the inside left channel and played it short inside to Pearson, his superb pass slicing open the home defence for Johnson to run behind down the left side of the box.

Johnson rolled a low ball across the six-yard box for Barkhuizen to side-foot home at the far post.

Good chances followed to extend the lead, Fisher's 14th minute cross from the right met by Maguire who angled a header towards the far bottom corner.

It looked like it was on its way in before Latics keeper David Marshall dived full length to glove it past the post.

In North End's next attack another fine pass from Pearson played in Sinclair down the right hand side of the box but his angled shot flew across goal and wide.

At the other end a shot from Kieffer Moore was blocked inside the six-yard box by Fisher, while Dunkley sent a header over the bar.

North End extended their lead a little more than two minutes into the second half, again a fluent build-up behind it.

Patrick Bauer won a tackle in the Preston half, with Barkhuizen taking possession to move up the pitch.

He exchanged passes with Alan Browne before putting over a low cross from the right which found Johnson in the box.

Johnson took a touch and them drilled a low left-foot finish into the bottom corner.

Wigan halved the advantage though, in the 57th minute.

Substitute Joe Gelhardt saw his first cross blocked by Bauer but when it came back to him, the teenager lifted a cross into the middle.

It dropped in the six-yard box and Dunkley was first to react to knock it into the net.

Wigan began to pile on the pressure as the second half went on, a header from Moore dropping just over the bar and landing on the top of the net.

In the 89th minute, Gelhardt's shot from outside the box was well parried by Rudd diving to his left, the effort having gone through a crowded box.

North End then saw six minutes of stoppage-time out quite comfortably to secure a fourth away win of the season.