PNE's women were without a first team fixture at the weekend as hosts Newcastle failed to secure a pitch on which to play their FA Women's Northern Premier Division fixture, but the reserves made up for a lack of action elsewhere but coming out on top in a hugely exciting demolition of the north east side's second string.



Rachelle Smith was Preston's hero with a match-winning hat-trick, while Sarah Walker and Laura Todhunter also found the target to leave the Geordies to contemplate a 5-1 defeat on their long journey home.



The game had originally been scheduled to take place in Newcastle, but a late change of venue was arranged, allowing the game to take place 140 miles closer to home at Preston Sports Arena.



In spite of this, there was still doubt placed over the game when the United players set their sat navs to the wrong venue, arriving at Bamber Bridge's QED Stadium rather than the Cottam-based sports centre, causing kick-off to be delayed before PNE got stuck into their demolition job.