Preston North End brought their pre-season campaign to a close with a 1-0 defeat to a lively Oldham outfit in a bad tempered game at Boundary Park.
The Lilywhites will be aiming for an improvement when they line up for the real stuff next Saturday although Darren Ferguson will have been pleased to see the majority of his first team regulars get a good run out.
The decisive goal of the game came five minutes before the break, Oldham's Ryan Brooke breaking the offside trap before slotting the ball underneath Lonergan from an acute angle.
It was a match of very few clear-cut chances for either side, North End going close in the second half with a couple of long range efforts. Preston's only negative from the match was an injury to Sean St. Ledger, the Republic of Ireland international pulled up just before the break with a hamstring injury.
There was no place in the squad for trialist Patrick Dimbala. The striker did not receive international clearance in time for the game and had to watch from the stands.
Matty James returned from England U19 duty to partner Paul Coutts in midfield for PNE. Jon Parkin's injury meant Paul Hayes and Chris Brown started up front in a 4-4-2 formation.
Former PNE favourite, Sean Gregan was on the bench for Oldham, who also named Jason Jarrett in the starting line-up.
The only goal of the game came in the 40th minute through Ryan Brooke. Reuben Hazell played a long ball over the top, which Brooke latched onto, before finishing neatly under Andy Lonergan from the right side of the six-yard-box.
Unfortunately for Oldham, the lead came at a price, as Brooke collided with Lonergan as he scored, and needed to be stretchered off.
Before the half was out, St. Ledger also pulled up with a hamstring injury, and was replaced by David Gray after the interval.
Brown and Keith Treacy went close for the Lilywhites, but the game was getting a little heated. Oldham substitute Kirk Millar was booked for a what looked like a reckless lunge that sent Callum Davidson flying.
Darren Ferguson then made six substitutions in the 73rd minute, with Conor McLaughlin, Jamie Proctor, Dom Collins, George Miller, Jamie Douglas, and Andros Aristidou all coming on, leaving Billy Jones and Paul Coutts the only starters still playing.
PNE's best chance of an equaliser came through Proctor with ten minutes left. After a neat flick by Douglas, the young striker was clean through, but he couldn't quite wrap his foot around the shot and it flew just wide of Dean Brill's goal.
Oldham: Dean Brill, Trialist, Black, Hazell, Jarrett, Jones, Stephens, Furman, Alessandra, Brooke, Bembo-Leta. Subs: Fleming, Lee, Eaves, Carr, Lomaz, Worthington, Crompton, Gregan, Dickov, Millar.
PNE: Lonergan; Jones, Davidson (c), St. Ledger, Morgan; James, Mayor, Coutts, Parry; Brown, Hayes. Subs: Gray, Barton, Treacy, McLaughlin, Proctor, Collins, Miller, Douglas, Arestidou.
