Preston North End progressed to the second round of the Lancashire Senior Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over Rochdale.
Goals from Scott Sinclair either side of half-time secured the victory for a PNE side which boasted the attacking threat of Tom Barkhuizen, Brad Potts and Josh Murphy.
Before the game, everybody at the club - players, coaches, staff and supporters - were able to pay their respects to Mr Trevor Hemmings CVO, who sadly passed away on Monday night, with a minute's silence ahead of kick-off.
North End started the game with an intensity the club's owner would have been proud of and, were it not for Rochdale goalkeeper Bradley Wade, the home side could have been out of sight inside 20 minutes.
Firstly it was Joe Rafferty frustrated by the ‘keeper as his 20-yard effort almost looped over him and then two minutes later Wade also kept out a low-driven effort from Murphy.
On 14 minutes, it was Paul Huntington who saw a header saved and Murphy was soon denied once more, with the best save of the lot thwarting him, as the ‘keeper clawed his shot out which looked to be creeping over the line.
Meanwhile, at the other end Benjamin Kershaw struck the bar with a good effort from the edge of the box, and Jamie Thomas did the same six minutes later, with his scooped shot landing on the roof of the net via the woodwork.
Thomas was again involved as North End took the lead on 29 minutes, with the midfielder’s corner being headed goalwards by Liam Lindsay, but the shot-stopper's save fell to the feet of Sinclair who reacted well to tap home.
Mathew Hudson made sure the home side went into the break 1-0 up, saving Benjamin Kershaw’s effort after he latched on to a loose ball out of defence.
In the second half, Murphy had a great chance to double PNE’s lead, but he sent his volley into the ground and over the bar.
Sinclair got his side’s and his personal second of the afternoon on 63 minutes, stepping up to take a penalty which he had been awarded, sending the spot kick confidently to the goalkeeper’s left.
First team coach Paul Gallagher gave Joe Rodwell-Grant, Lewis Leigh and Mikey O’Neill minutes off the bench, with the latter – a second-year scholar – having a chance to score within 60 seconds of coming on, but he sent an effort wide.
Potts then had the opportunity to make it three for his side in the closing stages of the game, on the end of a cutback from Barkhuizen who had stormed into space down the right, however his shot was fired over.
PNE line-up: Hudson; Rafferty, Huntington, Lindsay, Coulton; O’Reilly, Thomas (Leigh, 79), Potts; Sinclair (Rodwell-Grant, 68), Barkhuizen, Murphy (O’Neill, 86). Subs not used: Lombard, Nevin.
Rochdale line-up: Wade; Jesus (Cunningham, 77), Laurence, Dunne, Sutton; Mialkowski, Kershaw (c), Brierley; Scanlon, Ehimamiegho, McNair (Kibonda, 70). Subs not used: Kelly, Watts, Dos Santos.
Attendance: 101