Goals from Adam Barton and Scott Davidson gave North End a comfortable 2-0 win at Morecambe in the first round of the Lancashire Senior Cup.
This was a first round tie that had been rearranged after a pre-Christmas postponement with a home tie against Blackpool awaiting the winners. David Unsworth and Jamie Hoyland picked a side with a mix of youth and experience with Hart, Henderson, Chilvers, Collins and Elliott all included in the starting XI.
Tom Smyth, recently released by North End was at the heart of the Shrimps backline in a side that also included a lot of experienced first teamers, such as former Man Utd trainee Michael Twiss, Artell, Curtis and Craney.
However, it was the youthful section of North End's team that stood out in the opening stages of the game and Neil Dougan had the first real effort of the game, an 18-yard daisy-cutter that Scott Davies in the home side's goal had to palm away for a corner.
North End, wearing their home strip, could have taken the lead in the fifth minute when Stephen Elliott was put clean through by George Miller, but an excellent smothering save by Davies denied the Irish international.
Miller himself then saw a well-worked free kick tipped round the post before North End opened the scoring. Jamie Proctor, who recently earned himself a professional contract, showed some silky skills to jink his way past four tackles in the box before drawing the goalkeeper and sliding the ball across to skipper Adam Barton, unmarked on the penalty spot and he picked his spot and slid the ball into the empty net in the 16th minute.
The Lilywhites had further chances to stretch their lead before the interval, Adam Barton showing great composure on the ball to round three men before almost sliding a pass to Stephen Elliott and Neil Dougan, just back from a bout of the mumps, forcing the keeper into a smart stop.
After the break they continue to dominate possession and chances. In the first half alone they had 11 attempts on target to Morecambe's two and within the opening five minutes of referee Darren Handley getting the action going again they had created a trio of chances, George Miller going closest with a curling right foot effort just past the right hand upright.
However, in the 53rd minute Matty Poole found himself clear of the North End backline and bearing down on Wayne Henderson's goal, but while the midfielder slid his effort past Henderson it was also past the post.
With 20 minutes to go North End put together a lovely passing move that set Michael Hart free down the right. The Scottish full back pull the ball across the six yard box, but Ryan McGreevy, who had just come on for Neil Dougan headed just over the bar under severe pressure from two Shrimps defenders.
Shotly after, North End looked to have ended the tie, but two brilliant back to back saves from Davies denied them a second, firstly to his left to deny Stephen Elliott and then from the rebound to his right to deny another sub, Scott Davidson - truly excellent stops from the Morecambe custodian.
Morecambe tried to throw men forward to take the game to penalties, but on the break North End killed the game off. The ball was played through to Scott Davidson who ran away from the defence. His initial shot was well saved by Davies - who had performed heroics in the Morecambe goal - but it came back to the youth team midfielder, who slotted it back past the keeper in the 90th minute, the last action of a largely entertaining and one-sided affair at Christie Park, probably North End's last game at the stadium before the Shrimps move to their new ground.
Morecambe line-up: Davies, Jackson ©, Clark, Artell, Smyth, McLachlan (Yates, 61), Twiss, Poole (Parkinson, 83), Curtis, Craney (Ball, 69), Edan. Subs not used: Watson, B Proctor.
PNE line-up: Henderson, M Hart, S Hart, Miller, N Collins, Chilvers, Owens (S Davidson, 62), Barton, Elliott, J Proctor, Dougan (McGreevy, 69). Subs not used: Comrie, D Collins, Leather.
Referee: Mr D Handley
Attendance: 112
