Preston North End recorded a comfortable 4-1 victory over local non-league outfit Bamber Bridge against a backdrop of thunder, lightening and torrential downpours.
Goals from Jon Parkin, Neal Trotman, Jamie Proctor and Tom Smyth did the damage for Alan Irvine's side, a win which comes on the back of North End's convincing 11-0 win in Austria and was put in as the Lilywhites also won at Chorley on the same night.
A healthy crowd at Irongate was present to view the action and North End in their all-new red kit didn't disappoint, the highlight of the night an encouraging display from young striker Jamie Proctor who almost upstaged his former youth team-mate Danny Mayor.
First action of the game came in the sixth minute when McKenna played the ball into the feet of Jamie Proctor, the youngster pulled off a smart Cruyff turn and was clear into the box, a strong challenge took the ball into the path of Ross Wallace and he hit an absolute thunderbolt of a shot from an acute angle, it only just cleared the crossbar.
Proctor was again in on goal seconds later, a strong Trotman header downfield and the youngster outpaced his marker, hitting a low drive that was saved by Hale and then again by the Brig keeper as Proctor looked to slot the rebound home.
Brig frustrated their illustrious visitors the remainder of the opening 20 minutes and almost took a surprise lead when Ashley Dunn released Phil Denney down the middle of the park, Smyth was calling for offside but Denney raced away and it needed a smart save from Andy Lonergan, spotting the danger and closing Denney down, before parrying Denney's low shot away to safety.
The first goal of the evening came in the 26th minute of the game. Ross Wallace slid the ball down the left-flank and two would-be Brig challengers went for the ball, both of them missing it, to allow Jamie Proctor to spring towards goal, the Brig defenders closed him down so the youngster played a clever ball into the path of Jon Parkin who from the edge of the box managed to slot the ball home beyond the reach of Mike Hale.
Hale was tested once again on the half hour mark, this time from distance as Richard Chaplow hit an effort from 25-yards out that skimmed the turf before the Brig keeper parried the ball wide.
Chaplow's effort offered encouragement to the rest of the North End players to shoot at goal and on 31 minutes Ross Wallace picked the ball up, cut infield before hitting a powerful drive that arrowed its way towards goal.
Good play from North End almost unlocked the Brig defence again in the 34th minute, Chaplow feeding Mayor down the right and with Douglas sprinting into the box, Mayor's cross almost found his former youth team team-mate, Hale blocking the cross.
Preston North End by day, Bamber Bridge by night. Phil Eastwood almost put one over on his daytime employers when he pulled off his marker to make space for himself, received the ball before drilling a low drive across the face of goal that was just inches wide of Lonergan's far post.
Michael Hart chased down a long range Paul McKenna pass in the 39th minute and after the keeper parried the ball away from danger, Ross Wallace jinxed and jived before finding the space towards the back post to hit a drive that was deflected just wide.
Alan Irvine's Reds went 2-0 up in the 40th minute when Neal Trotman registered his second goal in as many games. Michael Hart again provided the pass, from the right, Jamie Proctor went near post and the ball raced across the six-yard box to find Trotman who could not miss from two yards out at the back post.
It should have been 3-0 four minutes after the break. Jon Parkin picking the ball up on the halfway line and releasing Ross Wallace with a clever ball inside the two defenders, Wallace raced clear but Hale was out quickly and produced a good reflex save as Wallace looked to slot home the chance.
Brig got a goal back on 50 minutes when Phil Eastwood grabbed a fine goal on his home debut at Irongate. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, Eastwood produced a smart turn before curling the ball beyond the outstretched arm of Andy Lonergan.
Wallace produced a couple of moments of decent football in response, firstly hitting a drive from 25-yards out that always looked to be spinning wide and then on 57 minutes he split open the Brig defence with a pass into the feet of Proctor, the young striker took the ball in his stride and did well to hit a low volley at goal that Hale saved well.
North End restored their two-goal cushion on the hour mark, good work from Danny Mayor sending Hart clear on the overlap, Hart's cross was back into the path of Mayor and he miss-hit his shot into the path of Proctor who had the simplest of tap-ins to make it 3-1.
It could have been 4-1 moments later, Wallace played a short corner with Chaplow and Wallace sent the ball into the dangerzone on his return, Proctor challenging Hale for the ball and the keeper mistimed his punch, it took a sliced clearance from the Brig man to clear the ball.
Preston did make it 4-1 in the 63rd minute. Danny Mayor operating on the left flank now produced a piece of skill before delivering a cross into the mixer, Tom Smyth producing a stunning volley over the keeper and into the back of the net, a goal worthy of any of North End's best strikers.
Parkin could have made it 5-1 on 74 minutes. Hart again getting down the right flank and he whipped in a cracking cross towards The Beast but the big man could not get enough on the ball as, unmarked, he looked to head home.
Substitute George Miller came on for Proctor to show some good touches and he dipped the ball inside to Parkin in the 76th minute, the big striker smashing a shot just a yard over the crossbar from 20-yards out.
Parkin was determined to double his tally for the evening and he brought a good save out of substitute keeper Andy Banks when he span with his back to goal and hit a low drive towards the near post, Banks like his namesake made a good save at the near post.
Four minutes from time and The Beast again had a sight at goal, Miller playing a crafty ball over the top of the Brig defencer and Jon Parkin sprinted onto it, the big striker brought the ball down before dribbling past the keeper, but the angle was tight and the two defenders on the line managed to divert it away for a corner.
In the 88th minute Richard Chaplow tried a speculative effort from 30-yards out that almost crepyt in, but for a man on the line it would have been yet another goal.
But Alan Irvine could have had few grumbles as the match was brought to an end, a convincing 4-1 victory in what was the first of a local doubleheader against non-league opposition on a wet Tuesday night in Lancashire. The opposition will be a little tougher on Saturday when the Lilywhites take the trip to the Wirral to tackle John Barnes' Tranmere Rovers.
Bamber Bridge: M Hale (A Banks 73), J Heywood, L Pryers, P Robinson (S Danson 58), C McAllister, M Moran, S Oldfield, N Reynolds, P Denney, P Eastwood, A Dunn. Subs: S O'Neil, J Rawcliffe, J Cowell, S Farrow.
PNE: A Lonergan, M Hart, N Trotman, T Smyth (P Quirk 64), E Nolan, D Mayor, R Chaplow, P McKenna, R Wallace, J Proctor (G Miller 71).
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
Stats
PNE: shots on target 12, blocked 9, off target 7, header on target 1, crosses 44, corners 15, offsides 2
BB: shots on target 2, blocked 2, off target 3, header on target 0, crosses 7, corners 3, offsides 1.
