Preston North End's reserves started their Totesport.Com league season with a 1-0 home defeat to Accrington Stanley at Bamber Bridge's QED Stadium.
The game wasn't a classic by any means, in fact the first half, whilst PNE dominated possession, it was most memorable for the passing steam train that headed up the line behind the stadium with about five minute's left in the half.
And reserve team boss David Unsworth wasn't at all happy with what he had seen. He told PNE.Com: "It's a disappointing start; it's a disappointing performance and a disappointing result and there's not a great more to say about it.
"We got outdone in every department and it was very frustrating.
"Paul got 90 minutes and Jon and Darel both got 70 minutes and they came through unscathed, so they were the positives from the game."
However, the first team coach's side had much the better of the chances before the break, Andreas Arestidou in the Lilywhites' goal left as a virtual spectator. The best chance of the half fell to Richard Chaplow who chipped agonisingly over the bar on 18 minutes after dissecting the Stanley defence with through ball from midfield.
On the half hour mark Josh O'Connell in the visitors' goal pulled off a great save as Jon Parkin found space in the box and got a goal bound effort heading towards the middle of the goal.
At the break Unsworth - who had U16 coach Chris Lucketti alongside Jamie Hoyland and himself on the bench - made a change replacing centre half Neal Trotman with young Irish defender Daniel Devine and in the early stages of the second period North End had three great chances to open the scoring.
The first was a double opportunity as a Paul Parry cross from the right was missed by Jon Parkin, but fell nicely to Jamie Douglas who hit a sweet shot, but there was a fantastic block by O'Connell.
Shortly after there was a good move as Parkin and Russell interchanged passes on the edge of the box and the big PNE striker won a corner with a blocked effort.
Parkin then had a shot flicked onto post by the keeper after excellent control and left footed effort, but the linesman's flag was raised.
It was therefore against the run of play when the visitors took the lead just before the hour mark. Jamie Douglas conceded a free kick near the right hand corner flag and from a well-worked set piece manouvre, Chris Turner found skipper Peter Murphy. His 15 yard half volley was well saved by Arestidou, but he could only palm it out to Max Rodriguez who passed a volley into the bottom corner from six yards out.
Unsworth's final changes came with 20 minutes left as Michael McLellan and PNE's young record holder Doyle Middleton replaced Jon Parkin and Darel Russell respectively - probably with Saturday's home game against Portsmouth in mind.
With seven minutes left North End were inches away from drawing level, with skipper Conor McLaughlin unleashing a piledriver of an effort from 35 yards after a corner was headed clear. It flashed inches past O'Connell's post, but the Stanley custodian was required seconds later, to tip Michael McLellan's effort from the right hand corner of the box just round the post.
North End finished the game strongly and their efforts deserved an equaliser; Paul Parry forcing the young keeper into a low stop to his left on 85 minutes, but they were unable to get past O'Connell and suffered a slim defeat.
"First and foremost when the first team players come down it is about getting them a game," added Unsworth at the final whistle. "That's what the reserves is used for, which is fine. It is like an extra training session for them, which we all understand.
"For the young pros and the youth team it is about their development, it is their big game of the week, so they have to produce and perform in front of the manager and the assistant manager, who were here tonight, but unfortunately on tonight's performance they didn't do that, which is disappointing."
PNE line-up: Arestidou, Collins, Wright, McLaughlin, Trotman (Devine, 46), Dougan, Chaplow, Russell (Middleton, 69), Parkin (McLellan, 69), Parry, Douglas. Not used: Comrie, R James, Miller, Clucas.
Accrington Stanley line-up: O'Connell, Riley, Hall, Rodriguez, Smyth, Owens, Turner, Murphy, Akande, Richardson, Field. Not used: Lomax, Walker, Evans, Rimmer, Larner.
Referee: Mr D Mohareb
