North End lined up in an extremely bright all yellow number, shades of last season when they were also resplendent in yellow and won 4-0.

Ipswich started the brighter though in footballing terms and Alan Lee was given a free header in fifth minute after Richards had worked well down the left and whipped in a decent cross, Carlo Nash was well placed to pluck Lee's header out of the air.

A penalty for Ipswich came in the 10th minute, Lee had arrived in the box onto a Macken flick and as he challenged for the ball with Matt Hill he was sent tumbling. It looked like Hill may have got a touch to the ball but after taking an age to make a decision the referee pointed to the spot.

Two former Manchester City players faced up to each other for the spot kick with Jon Macken squaring up to Carlo Nash. But it was the former North End man who won the duel as he calmly slotted the ball to Nash's left to put Ipswich one up.

Richards was given a clear sight of goal in the 17th minute when he stepped in from the left on the edge of the box and hit a right-footed shot that Nash did well to parry away, PNE were fortunate that there was no Ipswich man on the end of the rebound.

In the 33rd minute Ipswich should have had a second. Carlo Nash came for a Fabian Wilnis cross from the right and his punch at the back stick fell straight into the path of Matt Richards, Nash was stranded on the floor but with the goal at his mercy Matt Hill blocked and then cleared. Seconds later and De Vos, urged to shoot by the crowd, took his chance from 30 yards and his shot took a deflection which took it only inches over Nash's cross-bar.

In the 37th minute it was 2-0 to Ipswich. It started when Legwinski waltzed unchallenged all the way to the edge of North End's box, St. Ledger's challenge took the ball wide out to Richards, he delivered another telling cross and this time Alan Lee made no mistake with his head, climbing above Hill and powering the ball home.

Richards missed another sitter in the 41st minute. Chilvers had clattered into the back of Alan Lee but the referee allowed play to continue and that left Macken through on goal, he slotted a clever inside ball into the path of Richards who was unmarked right in front of goal, but from 12-yards out he screwed his shot wide of goal. Liam Chilvers was booked for his challenge on Lee.

North End had a great chance two minutes after the break. Paul McKenna burst through the middle and waltzed onto a pass from the left from Simon Whaley who had switched to the left flank. McKenna's shot was on his weaker side but he still brought a good save from Lewis Price, the ball fell to Sedgwick on the edge of the box but his volley was well blocked.

Alan Lee was booked in the 51st minute for appearing to aim an elbow at Sean St. Ledger as they both challenged for the ball in the air.

North End were handed a lifeline in the 53rd minute when David Nugent scored yet another goal against the Tractor Boys. The youngster chased what looked like a lost cause, but Fabian Wilnis' poor header back to his keeper fell short and Nugent was first to the ball to volley past Price.

Two minutes later and it was 2-2. Paul McKenna had been fouled on the half-way line and North End's troops piled forward into the box for Alexander's free-kick. The skipper hit it deep and Liam Chilvers rose highest in the box to head the ball unchallenged into the net, his first goal for the club, and the former Colchester man will be delighted.

Nugent did tremendously well in the 64th minute when he chased a Dichio ball down the wing, he got to the touchline and just played the ball past the keeper into space. Fortunately for Ipswich Wilnis was there to cover.

Amazingly North End were in front on 65 minutes. Simon Whaley with another cracking strike from outside the box. The young midfielder had sprinted down the left wing with the ball, cut inside on to his right boot and let fly from 25-yards out, the keeper stood no chance.

Preston made an immediate change with Dichio being replaced by Ormerod.

PNE almost hit Ipswich on the break in the 70th minute, Pugh set clear down the left and he looked to have outpaced De Vos, the big defender did just enough though to take the ball away from Nugent on the edge of the box, but he also looked to have taken Nugent down after the ball was cleared and Nugent's remonstrations with the referee got him booked.

Mark Noble was the next in the book, he was also yellow carded for dissent.

Ipswich had a decent chance to equalise in the 76th minute when De Vos powered a header over the bar from just six yards out after Richards had whipped in a great corner from the left.

PNE were guilty of over elaborating in the 77th minute, Ormerod had got clear down the right and he cut the ball back to the edge of the box where Pugh could have maybe had a shot, instead he backheeled it to where he thought McKenna was waiting, unfortunately he wasn't and the chance was gone.

Ipswich made a double substitution in the 80th minute when Roberts and Clarke came on for Macken and Richards.

Billy Clarke made an immediate impact and he got goalside of North End's defence in the 83rd minute, cutting in from the left he got past Alexander but his shot-cum-cross was well saved at the near post by Nash.|

Preston made another change on 88 minutes when Chris Sedgwick was replaced by Lewis Neal after a tireless display.

McKenna hit the bar in the 89th minute, Ormerod had fouled his man just inside the Ipswich half but the keeper was well out of his goal and McKenna tried a speculative effort from about 45 yards out.

Brett Ormerod showed his bravery in the 90th minute when he became the meat in the sandwich as Wilnis collided with his keeper on the edge of the box, Ormerod was flat out and the referee was forced to stop play as he needed medical attention.

The referee added four minutes of stoppage time and in the second of those minutes Callum Davidson replaced David Nugent.

Ormerod could have wrapped it up in the 93rd minute when he was put clear by Whaley on the counter-attack. Ormerod cut inside on his weaker left foot just inside the box, and his shot was skied over the bar.