Preston North End began their pre-season schedule with a 3-0 victory over Bamber Bridge.
All the goals came in the second period of the game, with Ben Whiteman, trialist Ben Woodburn and Mikey O’Neill getting on the scoresheet.
Two different XIs were fielded by manager Ryan Lowe, with a mixture of experience and youth getting a run-out against Jamie Milligan’s side.
Sean Maguire was one of those to start the game, but was forced off just seven minutes in due to injury, being replaced by O’Neill.
He partnered Emil Riis up top, and it was the Dane who had the first real chance of the game, cutting on to his left foot and firing just wide of goal.
The forward was involved again on the half-hour mark when he saw his effort blocked and the ball fell in to the path of 18-year-old O’Neill, who struck the crossbar from close range.
North End came close again on 38 minutes, this time through Noah Mawene, with the second-year scholar heading wide on the end of Daniel Johnson’s cross.
DJ had the last chance of the half, curling an effort wide of goal from the edge of the box.
PNE came out with almost an entirely new XI in the second half – only Lewis Coulton and O’Neill coming back out – and within five minutes the side in red were in front, with Whiteman calmly slotting home from the spot after Andrew Hughes had been brought down in the area by Finlay Sinclair-Smith.
Trialist Woodburn doubled the lead on 54 minutes, smartly finishing off a nice move involving Aaron Bennett and O’Neill.
O’Neill soon got on the scoresheet himself, getting a neat touch on Coulton’s cross from the left and finishing across the goalkeeper.
The young professional could have had a second soon after, being sent through on goal by Matthew Olosunde, but he saw his effort come back out off the post and the scoring ended at three.
PNE first half XI: Woodman; Storey, Bauer, Cunningham; Potts, Ledson, Mawene, Johnson, Coulton; Maguire (O’Neill, 7), Riis.
PNE second half XI: Cornell; Olosunde, Lindsay, Hughes; Seary, Whiteman, Bennett, Woodburn, Coulton; Evans, O’Neill.
Unused sub: Pradic.
Referee: Mr D McNamara.
Attendance: 2,152
