Preston North End enjoyed a dominant performance on derby day as the Lilywhites came out 3-1 winners at home to Lancashire rivals Blackpool.
Brad Potts – formerly of the visitors – opened the scoring with a rocket, before Ben Whiteman then netted a great goal of his own from a 20-yard free-kick.
In the early stages of the second half, Tom Cannon made it three and North End took all three points, despite a late consolation by Jerry Yates.
There were three changes made to the North End side who started in the last game against Middlesbrough, with Andrew Hughes, Liam Lindsay and Troy Parrott all coming into the side.
Both teams had early opportunities to take the lead, with Whiteman firstly seeing a promising effort parried away by Chris Maxwell, before Freddie Woodman did well at the other end to tip a CJ Hamilton shot onto the post.
It wasn’t long before North End were ahead, though, and what a strike it was. As the ball made its way to Potts on the corner of the box, he lined up the strike and expertly found the far corner, cuing pandemonium inside Deepdale.
Woodman was required once more in the 19th minute when Hamilton again tried his luck, and the goalkeeper made the save at his near post.
The volume was then cranked up even further inside the ground on 26 minutes when Whiteman stepped up to a 20-yard free-kick and pulled off an inch-perfect strike to beat Maxwell and make it two.
It was almost three soon after through Jordan Storey, who saw a close-range header just reached by Maxwell and tipped over.
Cannon did manage to get North End’s third in the early stages of the second half as Álvaro Fernández raced forward and slipped the Everton forward in, who in turn struck an effort in off the post in front of a packed-out Town End.
The visitors had presentable opportunities to pull a goal back in the following stage, firstly through substitute Ian Poveda who was denied by Woodman, before Morgan Rogers then headed wide from just a few yards out.
Liam Delap had a golden opportunity to find a fourth for his side after being put through on goal by Cannon, but his attempted dink was blocked by Maxwell.
Woodman then came up with a big save himself to deny Poveda, who had skipped past Browne before firing low at goal.
Yates did manage to get a very late consolation strike for the visitors, but that wasn’t to affect the outcome of the game as Ryan Lowe’s side won on derby day.
PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts (Ledson, 74), Whiteman, Browne, Johnson (Onomah, 83), Fernández (Brady, 83); Cannon, Parrott (Delap, 67). Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Woodburn.
Blackpool line-up: Maxwell; Gabriel, Nelson, Husband; Lyons, Husband, Dougall (Patino, 45), Hamilton; Anderson (Poveda, 45), Yates, Hamilton (Bowler, 45), Rogers. Subs not used: Grimshaw, Carey, Thompson, Garbutt.
Attendance: 18,834 (2,196 away fans).
Referee: Mr A Marriner.