Exeter City 1 Preston North End 2

Employing a very young side including home debutant Aaron Dawson manager Tisdale opted for an attacking 3-4-3 formation, and from the off it was clear the plan was to work the ball wide to Frear scampering up and down the left. As early as the fourth minute such a move saw Frear racing to the byline before whipping in a nifty cross to Cureton at the far post. He looped a good looking header back over the keeper and back across goal, but unfortunately it was just too high and dipped behind the crossbar on to the roof of the net.

But Preston kept their shape and kept their discipline and eased their way into the game. However, for all their physicality, it was a soft goal that handed them the lead in the 11th minute. Danny Mayor was left unchallenged on the right corner of the box and so when no-one went to close him down and Krysiak stood and watched, Mayor dinked a cross to the far post where lan Hume was on hand to bundle home from five yards to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

Cureton had a chance midway through the half when Dunne rolled a free kick wide to Tully - Tully then floated a cross to the far post to Cureton who nodded wide of the angle of post and bar from 15 yards.

In the final minute of three minutes stoppage time Cureton spurned a third chance to open his City account. Fortune sent Frear scurrying down the line where he showed great determination holding off a defender twice his size before fizzing a cross in to the near post. Cureton raced in and flicked the ball goalwards, but the keeper pulled of a great reaction save thrusting out an arm to deflect the ball round the post for a corner.

By contrast in the second half City looked much more determined and almost drew level within the opening minute. Taylor was fouled on the edge of the box on the goal line, but showed great awareness to take the free kick himself

quickly playing it in to a mass of bodies in the box. O'Flynn rushed forward to stab at the ball, but only succeeded in skimming it off the top of the crossbar from ten yards out.

In the ninth minute more Frear trickery down the left saw the ball cut back to Cureton just inside the box, but his first time smash was straight at the keeper.

Just after the quarter hour O'Flynn was replaced by Bauza, then in the 20th minute City deservedly drew level. Dunne fired the ball across the box from right to left where Frear collected out wide. He laid it off inside to Sercombe who stole into the corner of the box before unleashing a ferocious drive across the keeper low into the far corner to make it all square at one apiece and game on. Bauza fed the ball to Sercombe inside the opposite corner of the box five minutes later, and in a single movement Sercombe turned and lashed the ball inches wide of the top corner of the net.

On the half hour Preston thought they'd taken a shock lead when a free kick was nodded on in the box for Doyle Middleton to beat Krysiak to the ball and nod into an empty net, but the flag was already up for offside. Preston found a second wind after that and took the lead on 84 minutes. A long ball was played forward to Hume who easily beat the outrushing Krysiak to calmly roll the ball home from 15 yards despite Troy's best efforts to get back and clear making it 2-1 to the visitors and game over.

Ant Moxey

Match Summary 

Preston North End (PNE) 1
Exeter City 0.

Saturday 20 August 2011.
Ref: Nigel Miller

Att: 10,655 with 347 City fans.

BBC match report –

Jamie Proctor's header was enough for Preston to beat 10-man Exeter.

Graham Alexander failed to give North End the lead from the penalty spot though, firing his kick straight at Artur Krysiak.

Proctor secured victory for Phil Brown's men, heading home Paul Parry's free-kick to extend Preston's unbeaten run to four games.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon:

"Disappointing result but a wonderful performance.

"We weren't dealt the finest of hands I don't think, playing for over an hour with 10 men.

"That would rank alongside one of the best away performances I think we've constructed."