Retro game: Preston North End's victory at Bournemouth in March 2000 when Brett Angell and David Eyres both claimed the winner

Brett Angell and David Eyres both laid claim to the 48th minute goal, one which delivered a 10th away win of the season for the Second Division’s best travellers.

Angell claimed to have got the slightest of touches to a low cross from Eyres – the media credited it to striker Angell while team-mates seemed to lean the way of veteran winger Eyres.

PNE boss David Moyes left it to the pair to argue it out on the long journey home.

For Moyes, the game was his 100th in the league in charge of North End and the victory pushed them ever nearer promotion.

Two years earlier, it had been a trip to Bournemouth which had delivered his first league win in charge.

So it was little wonder Moyes expressed a liking for the south coast venue. This was not PNE at their best, the contest turning into something of a scrap on a day when the sun shone and fans were in short sleeves.

Moyes’ boys and their hosts were regarded as two of the best footballing teams in the division, hence there being a surprise that the play wasn’t the prettiest.

Rob Edwards went closest in the first half with a stooping header which brought a good save from Mark Ovendale in only the second minute.

At the other end, Steve Robinson wasn’t far off when the Preston defence seemed to stop expecting his blatant handball to be picked up by referee Tony Bates.

Steve Fletcher was only a couple of inches wide with a back-header after a long ball from his keeper.

When Claus Jorgensen went up unchallenged for a far post cross, only to badly mis-time his header, North End looked glad of the sanctuary of the half-time dressing room.

But three minutes after the restart the visitors took the lead. And they managed to hang on to that narrowest of margins for the duration.

Teuvo Moilanen hoofed a high ball up field, it dropped over full-back Neil Young for Eyres to bring down on the left. He turned and rolled a right-foot ball into the goalmouth, Angell tried to help it on its way but appeared to only brush it.

With keeper Ovendale and defender Eddie Howe caught flat-footed by the striker’s attempted flick, the Bournemouth defence could only watch open-mouthed as it bobbled across, hit the far post and bounced in.

The home side went close to an equaliser when North End defender Michael Jackson got in a great tackle on Christer Warren. After 75 minutes Robinson thought he had broken through with a sweetly struck free-kick which curled round the wall and was saved at full-stretch by Moilanen.

Moyes said: “We had to dig deep for this one and scrap all the way. But three points are three points.”

North End: Moilanen, Alexander, Jackson, Murdock, Kidd, Cartwright, Edwards (McKenna 26), Rankine, Eyres (Appleton 81), Angell (Basham 81), Macken. Subs (not used): Gunnlaugsson, Lucas.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 per month for the first two months. Try us today by clicking here