Reserve team manager and first team coach David Unsworth was delighted with Preston's 4-0 triump over Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose on Wednesday evening.

The side that faced Town was very young compared to the team that lost against Accrington Stanley a week earlier and this was one of the most pleasing factors for Unsworth.

Delighted with his team's performance the former Everton player said: "Jamie [Hoyland] and I are very delighted with the performance of our young reserve team tonight. They've worked their socks off and put in a great performance - when you get a good performance you usually get a good result and that's what has happened.

"We spoke about last week and we were really disappointed about the way we went about our business so we just asked them to up the tempo, work a little bit harder and when you get a group of young lads the one thing you know they'll give you is work rate. With that work rate you can pass the ball and we have done that in abundance so we are delighted."

The most senior player in Preston's line-up was captain Adam Barton who led by example in his more advanced role playing just behind his strike partner Jamie Douglas.

And Barton didn't disappoint managing to find the net after only five minutes before bagging his second mid-way through the second period.

Following the game Unsworth insisted his position was down to something the management had discussed and thought it would be good to see his sparkling attacking play.

Unsworth continued: "It is something that the manager has looked at with him because we might tinker with the systems in our first team this year so we wanted to have a look at Spid [Adam Barton] in that advanced role.

"He certainly put in a very accomplished performance - he was a different class and looked very, very good tonight."

The Whites went into the break at Moss Rose only one goal to the good but the hosts should count themselves lucky they weren't going in to the interval on the wrong end of a five goal mauling.

But North End failed to take their chances which left Unsworth and assistant Jamie Hoyland urging the lads to take more care in their finishing - and they didn't disappoint!

David said: "We spoke at half-time about getting into some fantastic positions in the first half because with a little bit more care in that final third we would have scored a lot more. The boys did that in the second half - once they got into the final third the quality was a lot better and they got their reward with three great goals."

After the game Unsworth admitted that the improvement was down to the lads' hunger and determination as each of the players on display had a point to prove instead of the game simply being used for a fitness session.

Unsy continued: "The difference is the hunger and desire because the game is of every significance for them and they are fighting for their careers. They are fighting for their lives in terms of getting their pro contracts or extending their pro contracts. People in the stands are looking at them for possible loans so you are getting a top performance and tonight we are delighted with them.

"As footballers you are only as good as your next game and we said that before the game. People say you are only as good as your last game and that is wrong - you have got to consistantly improve and look to that next game to show how good you are. There's always a chance to impress and they did that tonight. They worked their socks off, passed it and moved and on another day they could have got six or seven."