TWO goals scored shortly before the completion of each half were enough to see Preston Hockey Club home against a stubborn Morecambe team.

However, this game was not for the faint-hearted as these two fierce rivals engaged in a highly charged local derby.

There remains a rather volatile history in past encounters between these sides and this game proved no exception to the rule.

Right from the start Morecambe set their stall out to frustrate and harry the Preston side.

Their largely defensive strategy mixed with several swift counter-attacks allowed little flow to a game which relied on passion rather than panache. Indeed, the first half saw no genuine openings for either side from open play.

The penalty corner option looked the most likely source of goals for both teams.

However, Morecambe were frustrated in their efforts largely due to the heroics of Simon Eccleston in the Preston goal.

Eccleston twice denied Morecambe first with a full length diving save and then moments later the nimble keeper pushed another shot wide of the post.

Preston's creative fulcrum Sam Sinclair managed to claw the home side back into the game though. His inventiveness was beginning to open up an otherwise watertight Morecambe defence. And it was his run into the area which resulted in the first penalty corner of the half for Preston.

Thankfully Preston's captain Richard Sullivan set the perfect example by hammering home his third goal of the season from the resultant short corner.

Following the half-time break the visitors laid seige upon the Preston goal in a vain attempt for a equaliser.

But yet again they were denied either by the reflexes of Eccleston or their own woeful finishing. All the while Preston were beginning to test the Morecambe keeper with more regularity.

Phil Bowman drew a worthy double save from the visiting keeper and then Luke Wilson blasted over the top when a simple pass to his left would have surely resulted in Bowman securing the win. Nevertheless Preston did not have to wait much longer as Mark Fletcher's neat pass found Sinclair in yards of space to adroitly flick the ball over an advancing goalkeeper.

Preston now move up into fourth place and travel to mid-table Knutsford on Saturday. On Sunday the team meet Lytham St Annes in the first round of the HA Trophy.

RESULT: Preston 2 Morecambe 0