Looking back: Opening day victory for Preston North End over Watford in August 2004

Some late heroics from goalkeeper Andy Lonergan were required though, with the local lad saving a penalty from Neil Cox.

What proved to be PNE’s winner at the other end came from the penalty spot, David Healy netting.

Richard Cresswell had fired the hosts into a first-half lead, Watford equalising just after half-time.

It was a pleasing three points for North End who traditionally hadn’t been the strongest of starters.

Their line-up for this opening-day clash included new signing Youl Mawene, the centre-half having been snapped-up on a free transfer after leaving Derby.

PNE boss Craig Brown was able to include Ricardo Fuller in the attack, less than a month after a proposed sale to Portsmouth broke down to a knee injury the striker was carrying.

However, Portsmouth manager Jim Smith was in the crowd to watch Fuller and a few weeks later the move did happen.

Fuller showed no signs of the injury, carrying North End’s main threat.

Watford came close to an early goal when Brynar Gunnarsson tried his luck with an overhead kick which Lonergan saved well.

The Lilywhites steadily got themselves into the game and took the lead in the 34th minute.

Claude Davis launched a free-kick into the box which Chris Lucketti flicked on.

The ball fell into the path of Cresswell on the right-hand side of the box and he hooked a shot across goal and into the far corner past goalkeeper Richard Lee.

It ended a 37-game goal famine for Cresswell which had stretched back to the previous September.

Fuller was proving a real handful, giving Hornets centre-half Sean Dyche a tough time.

Late in the first half, the Jamaica international saw a shot pushed up against the bar by Lee.

As it came down, Eddie Lewis bundled the ball over the line but referee Mike Pike saw that Lewis had used his hand and disallowed it.

Watford equalised in the 47th minute, Paul Mayo delivering a cross from the left which Paul Devlin met at the far post and scooped into the roof of the net.

It needed a clearance off the line by Dyche to prevent Healy’s header regaining the lead for North End.

Eventually they did get their noses back in front, 76 minutes on the clock when Devlin’s trip on Lewis saw Mr Pike point to the spot.

In the absence of regular penalty taker Graham Alexander, it was Healy who stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way.

Mr Pike pointed to the spot at the other end in the 82nd minute when PNE sub Andy Smith barged into Ashley Young to give away the penalty.

Lonergan, only 20 at the time, was equal to Cox’s spot-kick and parried it clear.

PNE: Lonergan, Mawene, Lucketti, Davis, Skora (Smith 77), Etuhu, O’Neil, Lewis, Healy, Cresswell, Fuller (McCormack 88). Subs (not used): Ward, Daley, Brown.