Preston North End Reserves suffered their heaviest defeat this season after losing 5-1 to Carlisle.

The game was over as a contest even before the break at Irongate, Carlisle notching four goals as they swept aside their hosts to put a severe dent in North End's Pontins Holiday League challenge.

Ironically enough it was the Cumbrian outfit who had inflicted the last defeat on Preston's second string, this loss Billy Barr's first in five games.

North End fielded Chris McGrail, Joe Anyinsah, Kevin Nicholls and Brett Ormerod from the first team squad but struggled to win the physical battle against a strong Carlisle line up.

The first goal came almost immediately after kick-off as Gary Madine headed past Chris Neal following a corner.

Five minutes later, Carlisle struck again, this time Grant Smith put a volley beyond the onrushing Neal.

Preston had trialist Scott Wootton in the team but he was booked just before Carlisle's Danny Carlton snatched their third.

Preston tried to push forward and Mike Aspin made a forceful run down the right before his cross into the box resulted in Carlisle nearly scoring an own goal.

Even though 3-0 was going to be difficult to bounce back from, Preston looked like they wanted a little bit more out of the game, but Carlisle killed the only hope that was left with a penalty five minutes from the break.

North End pushed hard to take something out of the game but the Cumbrian outfit killed the game off five minutes before the break when Grant Smith doubled his tally, slotting home from the spot.

Grant Smith would prove to be a real thorn in the side for the Lilywhites hitting the bar after the break but it was another Smith, former PNE midfielder Jeff Smith, who made sure of a five-star display when he scored a real beauty, controlling the ball on his chest before thundering a low drive inside the near post.

Brett Ormerod managed to pull a consolation goal back for the Lilywhites but it was too little too late when he tapped home after a goalmouth scramble in the 87th minute of the game.

Manager Billy Barr said: "We didn't really turn up the first half and I said at half time that the game was gone but that we needed to go out and make sure we didn't lose the second half, which we didn't. I'm glad for Brett because that's two goals in two games and he kept doing the right things throughout the game."

PNE: Neal, Aspin, Adams, Wootton (Bloxam 60), Collins, Nicholls, Anyinsah (Appiah 53), Fairhurst, Mayor (McCarthy 72), McGrail, Ormerod. Subs: Appiah, Thompson, Bloxham, Mainwaring, McCarthy.

By Frida Larsson