A fantastic afternoon in aid of George Melling and motor neurone disease ended in a 5-3 victory for a PNE Legends XI against the Bamber Bridge Vets.
A packed-out Sir Tom Finney Stadium saw club heroes such as Ian Bryson, John Welsh and Paul Gallagher pull on the lilywhite shirt once more for the very important cause.
Gally was one of the men to get on the scoresheet, while Ross Wallace and Stephen Elliott both netted a brace.
It was PNE creating all the early opportunities, with Wallace coming close seven minutes in, and the crowd got excited soon after when Gally stepped up for a free-kick 20 yards out, but his effort went over the crossbar, greeted by a few sarcastic boos.
David Eyres so nearly opened the scoring with a dinked effort which the ‘keeper just got his fingertips to, and Stephen Elliott twice had big chances himself, scuffing the first before dragging an effort wide of goal.
PNE did break the deadlock before the break, though, with winger Wallace tidily slotting home on the end of David Buchanan’s pass into the area.
The Lilywhites then doubled the lead three minutes after half-time, as Elliott headed home from Chris Humphrey’s cross from the right.
The pair then combined again on 60 minutes for a third goal, with Humphrey once more using his pace down the flank before slotting across to Elliott to tap home.
Bamber Bridge got themselves a goal back from a corner 67 minutes in, with Kenny Myers scoring a nice looping header past David Lucas.
The crowd then got what they came to see when Gally stepped up for another free-kick, this one finding the bottom corner in trademark fashion from the edge of the box.
It became something of a goal frenzy in the final ten minutes of the game, with Simon Carey getting on the scoresheet for the hosts, before Ross Wallace curled a lovely finish into the far corner a minute before John Bolton reduced the deficit to two once more.
The game finished at 5-3 and was followed by a trophy presentation, where Melling himself awarded PNE captain Gallagher with a shield for the victory, and an auction and raffle followed in aid of Melling and MND.
You can still make a donation to the worthwhile cause here.
PNE Legends: David Lucas, Barry Nicholson, John Welsh, Ian Bryson, David Buchanan, Steve Wilkes, Paul Gallagher, Chris Humphrey, Jon Macken, David Eyres, Ross Wallace, Graeme Atkinson, Warren Beattie, Stephen Elliott, Chris Holland.