Preston North End reserves’ Central League Cup campaign came to an end with a 5-0 defeat at home to Accrington Stanley.
Ben Woods and Rio Alston sent their side into the break with a two-goal lead, before strikes from Aaron Pickles, another from Alston, and Anjola Popoola put gloss on the scoreline late on.
Alston, who was lively all game, could have opened the scoring within the first minute, although he couldn’t quite connect with Seb Quirk’s cross from the right.
He then came even closer in the 13th minute when he struck a fierce effort just inches away from Tommy Davis’ top corner.
At the other end, captain Kitt Nelson got his side going with a marauding run and Theo Mawene hit a long-distance strike wide of goal.
The visitors broke the deadlock with ten minutes of the half left as Alston’s effort was parried into the air by Davis and cleared off the line by Jonny Brindle, but the ball fell for Woods to fire home.
Alston kept trying his luck and saw the post deny him in the 41st minute, as did Woods soon after, but Alston did eventually get his goal a minute before the break as he finished off a one-on-one.
The visitors all but killed the game off just four minutes into the second half as Pickles scored a rebound following a great save by Davis.
North End’s best opportunity of the game yet came in the 51st minute when Nelson’s cross from the left was sent goalwards by Gairns, but Toby Savin kept it out.
The goalkeeper was then thanking Lewis Shipley for a vital interception to prevent Gairns having a tap-in from close range.
Substitute Josh Muir also had an opportunity to pull one back in the 81st minute, however he saw his header caught by Savin.
As the game went into stoppage-time, Alston scored his second of the day after cutting inside well, and Popoola struck the post a minute later.
He was to get his goal, though, as the resulting corner fell his way and he found the back of the net to make it five.
PNE line-up: Davis; Blake, McGhee, Brindle; Tarry, T.Mawene (Muir, 73), Horan (Critchley, 61), Nelson (Ifezue, 61), Pasiek (Garrigan, 61); Gairns, Carroll.
