MATCH REPORT: PRESTON NORTH END U19 4-0 PORT VALE U19

Photo credit: PNEFC.net

Preston North End U19s controlled the game as Port Vale were brushed aside in a 4-0 drubbing at Springfields.

Mikey O’Neill fired them in front on 33 minutes before a second-half strike from Kitt Nelson and two from Jacob Holland-Wilkinson, one from the spot, saw the Lilywhites complete their rout.

Four players were restored to the side from last week’s draw at Walsall including goalscorer O’Neill, Lewis Leigh, Kian Best and Finlay Cross-Adair in place of Joe Blanchard, Isaac Khan, Rio Pemberton and Vaughn Green.

Heavy wind caused the game to be delayed by fifteen minutes but once it did get underway, North End immediately took charge with O’Neill looking dangerous in his first start for the team in over four weeks.

The attacking midfielder connected with a volley inside the area on 12 minutes which just went over the bar.

Port Vale then created their best opportunity of the match six minutes later with a wicked cross from the right which was hit high over the goal by their forward who should have done better.

In quite an open encounter, PNE had another chance minutes afterwards when Cross-Adair got on the end of Slater’s cutback and hit a low shot that was spilled by the Port Vale ‘keeper into the path of O’Neill but he dragged the rebound wide.

North End continued to knock on the door as Cross-Adair came close with a shot inside the area and O’Neill dragged a header wide in a three-minute period.

The breakthrough finally arrived three minutes past the half-hour mark when O’Neill hit a low shot across goal which nestled in the bottom corner and gave the Lilywhites a deserved 1-0 lead.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure as Holland-Wilkinson connected with a close-range header which was well held by the opposition’s number 1.

Despite their onslaught on the visitors’ goal, Nick Harrison’s side went in at half-time with just the one goal to their name.

They refused to let up in the second half and Josh Seary immediately forced a world-class save out of the Port Vale goalie with a volley at the back post that was somehow parried out for a corner.

However, there was nothing the shot-stopper could do five minutes later as his defence was split apart by Leigh’s incisive pass into the path of Holland-Wilkinson and the striker finally got his goal with a clinical finish, doubling North End’s advantage.

Not satisfied with just the one, he almost added another on 58 minutes but this time his shot was just off-target.

On the hour mark, the Lilywhites made two substitutions with Green taking the place of Cross-Adair and Slater being replaced with the returning Levi Lewis.

As the game began to settle down in the second half, there were fewer chances but Holland-Wilkinson did come close yet again on 75 minutes with a close-range strike that he blazed over the bar.

North End made their third change after that with Kitt Nelson replacing O’Neill, who produced an excellent display in his first game back in over a month.

Seven minutes later, Finlay Wallbank came on for Leigh in PNE’s final substitution of the day.

On 88 minutes, the hosts made it 3-0 after a well-crafted attack resulted in a Green strike that was saved into the path of Nelson who made no mistake from close range.

There was still time for the Lilywhites to bag a fourth when Holland-Wilkinson was brought down in the box and he converted the resulting penalty with the final kick of the match.

Manager Nick Harrison was delighted with the sheer number of chances created by his side.

He said to PNE.Com: “We’ve created 16 chances which is really pleasing, and I thought we played some really good football.

“We opened them up really well with good movement and good passing which is really pleasing from a performance point of view.

“It was a really good performance and a really good result.”

He was equally impressed with his side defensively as well as offensively, saying: “I’m just as pleased with the clean sheet as scoring the four goals.

“We defended well when we lost the ball and having a lot of the possession helped us keep the ball away from our goal.

“The back three worked hard again in terms of limiting the opposition’s chances and I thought the players in front of them pressed the ball well and made things really difficult for Port Vale.”

He was happy to be able to bring O’Neill and Lewis back into the side after some weeks out.

“It’s good to start getting players back,” he said.

“It gives everyone a little bit of competition which then hopefully helps them to improve and do better and so I’m pleased to get the players back.”

PNE line-up: Pradic, Mfuni, Best, Leigh (Wallbank 82’), Nevin (C), Amaral, Seary, O’Neill (Nelson 75’), Holland-Wilkinson, Cross-Adair (Green 60’), Slater (Lewis 60’)