Wanderers score twice as Preston hit woodwork three times

BEN Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock reports on a tremendous victory at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday. His Complete Match Verdictt with pictures will be downloaded on this site by 10am on Monday.

LOAN star Isaiah Rankin struck again and Michael Ricketts came off the bench to net a magnificent goal on his debut to secure three more points fror Wanderers.

But Sam Allardyce was also grateful to Lady Luck and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen as he savoured this derby win against his former club.

Rankin, the Bradford City striker, scored his second goal in successive league games with a sensational 39th minute strike but unlucky Preston hit the woodwork three times in the first half and found the Mighty Finn in unbeatable form.

Ricketts, the summer signing from Walsall who had been suspended for the first three games of the season, rubbed salt into North End's wound eight minutes from time.

Rankin's goal came on the break after Preston wide-man Iain Anderson had hit the post at the other end with a terrific drive.

Jon Macken and Steve Basham had both failed to take advantage of sloppy Bolton defending after Dean Holdsworth, making his first league start of the season, had missed a glorious chance to put Wanderers ahead during an early cominant period.

Bo Hansen played a key role for Wanderers, operating in a wide right position as Allardyce switched to a 4-4-2 formation with returning captain Mike Whitlow at left back.

Preston rode the early storm and responded to encouragement from their 5,000 travelling fans and some slack play by Wanderers and always looked capable of an equaliser.

They looked certain to score in the 45th minute when Macken struck the crossbar from close range. The ball fell kindly for Anderson, twice, but his first shot was tipped onto the bar by Jaaskelainen and his follow up was touched round the post by the alert keeper.

Jaaskelainen came to Wanderers' rescue again on 47 minutes when he saved with his feet from Basham who had got the better of Mark Fish.

Another important save kept out Macken's close range header before fellow Finn Teuvo Moilanen in the Preston goal showed his class with a fine reflex save from Gareth Farrelly's deflected free kick.

The result was in doubt until the 82nd minute when Ricketts collected Per Frandsen's pass and raced away from Michael Jackson before beating Moilanen with a shot into the far corner.

Wanderers (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Barness, Bergsson, Fish, Whitlow; Hansen, Frandsen, Passi, Farrelly; Holdsworth, Rankine. Subs: Marshall for Holdsworth 58 mins, Ricketts for Rankin 67 mins, Richardson for Hansen 84 mins, Banks, O'Kane.

Preston (4-4-2): Moilanen; Alexander, Jackson, Murdock, Edwards; Anderson, Appleton, Rankine, McKenna; Macken, Basham. Subs: Cartwright for Alexander 68 mins, Robinson for McKenna 74 mins, Lucas, Eyres, Barry-Murphy.

Referee: Uriah Rennie.

Attendance: 19,954.