Preston North End recorded their second derby victory in five days after the second string defeated Blackpool 2-1 at Deepdale.

Two first half goals from Neil Mellor were enough for Billy Barr's men to see off the resilient Tangerines.

North End included no fewer than eight first team members in the starting eleven, skippered by Michael Hart.

After a lifeless opening twenty minutes, Karl Hawley almost put Preston ahead from Lewis Neal's cross but his shot was well parried by Blackpool goalkeeper Pavels Steinbors.

It was Blackpool who took the lead against the run of play on 24 minutes when Andy Welsh's ball in from the right was exquisitely finished by Preston-born Simon Wiles.

The Seasiders were forced into an early change as John Hills was replaced by Alex Smith on the half hour.

The Preston equaliser came five minutes before the break when Karl Hawley made a mazy run through the defence before offloading the ball to Matt Hill on the left. He drilled the ball across from the left and Mellor was on hand with a neat finish.

And two minutes later Preston were ahead. Blackpool failed to clear a Preston free kick and Fairhurst's shot-cum-cross was headed over the keeper by Hill. Mellor slid in on the line to make sure North End were ahead at the break.

Preston made two changes at the interval with Mellor and Neal Trotman being replaced by Ray Shearwood and Michael Conchie.

The second half started to open out as Preston looked for the killer third and Blackpool threatened to get back into the game on the counter-attack.

The visitors nearly caught Preston on the hour after one such counter from a corner. David Fox played in Welsh but Hart covered expertly from right back to snuff out the danger and sum up a solid performance.

Substitute Conchie then seized on a poor back header by Stuart Green but his shot was wide of the target.

Halfway through the second half Preston had two chances to make it three in as many minutes as first Fairhurst and then Lewis Neal had shots from outside the area.

Hawley should have put the game out of sight on 70 minutes after Lewis Neal's run and cross but the Preston number nine was off target.

With just 12 minutes to go Blackpool had a glorious chance to equalise but Green blazed the shot over from 12 yards.

And the Seasiders almost made North End pay in the final few minutes but Green was again denied, his shot well saved by Chris Neal.

Preston: Chris Neal; Hart (capt), Smyth, Trotman (sub Shearwood 45), Hill; Aspin, Fairhurst, Chaplow (sub Adam Barton 59), Lewis Neal; Hawley, Mellor (sub Conchie 45). Subs not used: Cudworth, Collins.

Blackpool: Steinbors; Coid, Jackson (sub Eastham 62), Trialist, Tierney; Welsh, Green, Fox, Hills (sub Smith 30); Wiles, Merrella. Subs not used: Doughty, Halstead, Lloyd.

By Jamie Tabord