Preston North End 2 Crewe 1

Att:12,632

Micahel Appleton produced a rocket of a shot to put North End in front after just 11 minutes.

It was a fine solo effort as he picked the ball up on the half way line.

He took the ball on as the Crewe defence retreated and then from 25 yards he hit in a barnstorming shot that flew high into the top corner of the net, leaving Jason Kearton only a spectator as the ball hit the net behind him.

Crewe came close to an equaliser when Sean Smith's angled shot just cleared the crossbar, but the Preston response was a powerful shot from Iain Anderson which Kearton saved brilliantly.

Preston went close to a second goal when Kenny Lunt cleared Colin Murdock's close-range shot off the line and immediately Crewe got back on level terms.

Cramb crossed from the right, the ball took a deflection into the path of Mark Rivers and he had the ball in the net in a flash.

Preston battled for the lead and Ryan Kidd had a shot blocked and then Erik Meijer was only a fraction away from netting Jon Macken's cross as Crewe held onto the 1-1 interval scoreline.

In the second half, Crewe came under constant pressure, with both Appelton and Meijer missing chances and good saves from Jason Kearton from Macken keeping the scoreline level.

Iain Anderson put in a great run creating a deflection for a corner and from the flag Meijer shot only inches from putting North End in the lead.

Crewe eventually started to crack.' On 73 minutes Graham Alexander played a powerful shot from the right and in a box packed with players Mark Rankine smashed the ball home.

Said David Moyes: 'It was a cracker of a goal from Appelton and it's that Rankine is on the scoresheet.'