Preston North End got their summer season underway in conditions that were more suited to swamp diving than association football.

Fielding two entirely different sides in each half of the game, PNE drew 1-1 with Brig in the opening 45 minutes and lost 5-1 in the second salvo.

As indicated prior to the game by manager Paul Simpson the result was never going to be an issue, the main priority putting the PNE professionals through their paces in readiness for the season kick-off on August 11th. But with pitch conditions that Deepdale Duck would have enjoyed, Simpson would have been happy just to see his side come through the test unscathed.

PNE's goals came from Lewis Neal on 29 minutes when he strolled down the the centre of the pitch before hitting a 20-yard daisy-cutter past the Brig keeper and in the second half Danny Mayor equalled Neal's impressive strike when he let rip from 25-yards out and the ball was in the back of the net even before the keeper had chance to dive.

Two minutes into the game and North End had a shot on goal when Joe Anyinsah picked up the ball on the right and unleashed a low volley but it was to be blocked by Brett Ormerod.

On five minutes Chris Sedgwick blasted a volley over the bar from 30 yards out.

North End went behind in the 13th minute when a corner came in from the right and Henderson collided with rookie centre-half Bloxham leaving Allan Fleming with the easiest of tap-ins to out the home side into the lead.

Paul Simpson's Reds were working some good stuff down the left with Lewis Neal combining well with Matt Hill, the left-back, who had inked a new two-year extension to his contract earlier in the day whipped in a cross in the 21st minute which Ormerod got a glancing header to, it went well wide.

The Lilywhites were back on level terms on 29 minutes and it was a good goal. Mawene played a ball into the centre of the park for Kevin Nicholls and he dinked a pass beyond his marker into the path Lewis Neal. Neal lifted his head to see acres of space in front of him and he set off towards goal, 30 yards out the left-winger struck a low effort beyond the outstretched arm of the Brig keeper Terry McCormick.

In the 34th minute Preston had a great opportunity to go ahead. Kevin Nicholls again with a pass which released Patrick Agyemang down the right channel, Agyemang danced past the despairing dive of Bamber Bridge's last man and squared a ball across the face of goal to Ormerod, unmarked, the ball seemed to slow down on the turf as it reached the striker and he failed to get any real purchase on the ball and it skimmed up into the air.

Three minutes before the break and Preston had a chance to go in in front when Brett Ormerod ran on to a ball through the middle and looked to dink it past the keeper, but it was a good save from the Brig keeper once again.

PNE First-Half: Henderson, Jones, Mawene, Bloxam, Hill, Anyinsah, Sedgwick, Nicholls, Lewis Neal, Ormerod, Agyemang.

The second half saw Simpson withdraw all of his professional players and sent on an inexperienced side to toil through the heavy rain. Two minutes in and the aptly named Salmon proved that you don't have to be a fish out of water when he struck to make the score 2-1 to the Unibond League side.

It was 3-1 on 50 minutes when Bamber Bridge skipper Alex Porter pounced on some PNE indecision in the box to slot the ball home.

At that point it looked like the flood-gates were about to open but North End's rookies hit back and Matty Mainwaring gave Brig something to think about when he smashed a low free-kick through the wall and warmed the hands of the keeper.

Four minutes later and PNE pulled one back, the ball was bouncing around the edge of the Brig box like a pinball and Danny Mayor took it upon himself to make the decisive move and he smashed the ball past the keeper from 25-yards out.

But the joy would be short-lived for the PNE fans who had braved the downpours and on 62 minutes Brig restored their two-goal cushion when the skipper hit a brilliant free-kick that was always curling away from Chris Thompson between the sticks.

A worrying moment for Bamber Bridge on 65 minutes came when Mark Edmeads had to be helped off the field of play with a shoulder injury, an ambulance soon arrived and it was later confirmed that the player had fractured his shoulder.

The goal deluge continued for PNE though and Salmon was again on the scoresheet when he scrambled home on 68 minutes and Danny Mahoney slotted home 77th minute penalty to complete the scoring.

PNE Second Half: Thompson, Moss, Shearwood, Appiah, C Barton, Chiocci, Maher, A Barton, Smythe, Higgins, Mainwaring.

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