Preston's youngsters survived an early battering from both the visitors and the elements to secure a much deserved victory over Port Vale at soggy Springfields.

A brace from new signing Ryan McGreevy on his full debut gave PNE a crucial foothold around the half hour mark, and a second half own goal from Jonathan Crompton put the gloss on a performance that didn't dip in spite of Tom McMahon's harsh dismissal with 25 minutes remaining.

Youth team coach Jamie Hoyland admitted:

"We've haven't really had much time to work on a formation but with the players that we have got, I feel playing a 4-3-3 gives us a chance to keep the ball better and also today we had a goal poacher up front in Ryan McGreevy who scored two great goals.

"Even the third, which was an own goal, stemmed from great football and although we could have got a few more, I'm really happy with the performance.

"Ryan McGreevy is instinctive anywhere around the area and you always think that if it drops to him that he is always going to have a chance of scoring. That's a big plus point for next year when he becomes a full-time scholar and hopefully the future.

"They all can play football and at a decent standard. It's the other side of the game that they have to learn, sometimes the hard work, the desire and the endeavour will be up and down like a rollercoaster but today they put it in and we got the right result.

"They had a lad with a long throw who put us under a bit of pressure, but after 20 minutes we got to grips with that and we defended and started passing the ball. I told them at half time, after we had done that, that it was our game to lose after going 2-0 up."

The early stages belong to the visitors, though, and Preston keeper Jack Cudworth was called upon to keep his side in the game as they froze at the back on a number of occasions as the hail descended on the rear pitch at the Springfields training ground.

With an early strike having been chalked off for offside, Cudworth firstly produced a sprawling block to keep out a strike from Anthony Malbon that looked destined for the bottom corner, and he was called upon again to make a low block after Luke Chapman's angled ball over the top had presented skipper Ross Davidson with an ideal opening.

Once the early storm had been weathered in both a footballing and meteorological sense, Preston started to pass the ball around with greater aplomb as they adjusted to the demands of their 4-3-3 system, and it didn't take long before McGreevy began to show his talents as the chances came his way.

On the half hour, Preston went ahead, with Dominic Collins' high ball upfield from a dead ball situation flicked towards goal off McGreevy's head - the under 16 striker stretching well to divert the ball past Lloyd Ransom as his effort to come and claim from the edge of a crowded penalty area proving in vain.

Just a couple of moments later, another swift ball from ball to front saw McMahon sending Michael Conchie on a run towards goal, and after flicking the ball into the space occupied by McGreevy, the flame-haired forward dropped a shoulder to confuse Ransom and he slid the ball confidently into the now-unguarded net from a tight angle.

From there on in, Preston looked much the better side, with Conchie making a reasonable claim for a penalty after colliding the Ransom on the edge of the area, while the same striker should have made it three within the opening ten minutes of the second half - stabbing McGreevy's knock-down over the top of an unprotected net as the sun began to break through the clouds.

Former Man City man McGreevy again created an opening as he squared the ball beyond the reach of half-time substitute keeper Dave Watson, but his former Sky Blue colleague, Neil Dougan, couldn't apply the finish as he jinked and jived his way past the remaining crowd of defenders. His shot cleared the bar when the net was gaping, but it was the only real mistake in an otherwise impressive performance from the trialist.

Then came Jack Cudworth's turn to prove his worth. The keeper was presented with a stern test as Cromptom stepped up to try and beat him from the penalty spot after Malbon was tripped on the very edge of the penalty area, and he came through the examination with flying colours as he got down low to hold a well-placed but weakly-hit strike.

Preston's challenge was then made all the greater when McMahon was cruelly dismissed for nothing worse than two mis-timed clips, with the referee opting to book the tenacious midfielder for both discrepancies.

However, the new 4-3-2 formation with Phil Appiah brought on to provide extra bite in the centre proved hugely effective, with Dougan coming into his own in a slightly more central role.

Though Preston regularly looked more likely to net, Cudworth kept the scoreline intact with a couple of good blocks - providing an ideal platform for North End to break and seal the win in style.

A great passing move down the left flank started to look dangerous as Matty Mainwaring slipped Dougan in towards the by-line, and his low centre was turned into the net via the inside of the post as Crompton tried to cut out the danger. A miserable error on a torrid afternoon for Crompton was harsh on the centre half, but PNE's move alone was worthy of another goal.

Some last-ditch defending was required to avoid a late consolation for the visitors, but Cudworth and his back-line held firm to record the youth team's first clean sheet of the stop-start calendar year.

With the games coming thick and fast in a busy month of action, many players will be playing in excess of half a dozen games this month, but Hoyland doesn't expect that to phase the youngsters, adding:

"Some of them who came on as substitutes are going to be playing in the reserves tomorrow so we're going to be down in the pool in the morning for a warm down then it's down to Deepdale for another game, followed by another on Saturday. It's thick and fast but it's encouraging when we get performances like that."

PNE: Cudworth, Ciaran Barton, Trialist, McMahon, Bloxam, Collins, Trialist, Adam Barton, Conchie (sub Appiah 68), McGreevy (sub Mayor 79), Mainwaring (capt). Subs not used: Thompson, McCarthy, Rogers.

Port Vale: Ransom (sub Watson 46), Branch, Ellwell, Chapman, Crompton, Share (sub Bell 46), Pike, Davidson (capt), Lovatt (sub Osei-Siribour 63), Malbon, Beeston.