Calvin Ramsay gets first Preston North End minutes since injury in Lancashire Senior Cup defeat

Preston North End were beaten 2-3 by Accrington Stanley in the quarter-final of the Lancashire Senior Cup.

The Lilywhites named a strong side for the tie, with experienced heads Robbie Brady, Ched Evans and Patrick Bauer starting the match at Euxton. Ben Woodburn and Layton Stewart were handed minutes too, along with North End’s young pros. James Pradic, fresh from signing a new contract at Deepdale, was also given the nod in between the sticks.

It was, though, Accrington who started the brighter with Matt Lowe crashing a header off the crossbar from Jack Nolan’s cross. And, having seen his team go close early doors, Nolan then broke the deadlock on 12 minutes with a free-kick into the top corner. Stanley almost doubled their lead through Korede Adedoyin, who was denied by Pradic, before Lowe made his second chance count on 35 minutes - a header at the back post, powered into the back of the net.

North End, trailing two-nil, seeked a route back into the game and had a glorious chance to do so when Layton Stewart’s low drive was parried out by Jack McIntyre - only as far as Ben Woodburn, who couldn’t force home. Preston then saw a penalty shout turned down, when McIntyre clattered into the back of Evans when coming out to claim a high cross. After taking that blow, Preston’s number nine sparked into life and he pulled one back just before half time - his first time strike into the far corner punishing a costly McIntyre error.

Evans and Ramsay made way at the break, with the former set to be involved in Friday night’s Lancashire derby at Blackburn Rovers. As for Ramsay, it was always the plan to get him minutes in the game - having only recently returned from his knee injury which required him to rehabilitate at parent club Liverpool. North End had restored hope in the game prior to the interval and four minutes into the second half they were level, as Woodburn struck home a wonderful equaliser.

Back on level terms, PNE were looking to turn the game around but the second half became a scrappy affair, low on quality. Ellis Horan escaped a red card on the hour, with his late challenge on Seamus Connelly sparking a brawl in the middle of the pitch. And, with five minutes left to play, Patrick Bauer was penalised for a foul on Joshua Woods inside the box and Jack Nolan stepped up to fire home the winner, from the penalty spot.

PNE XI: Pradic; Seary, Ramsay (Pasiek 46’), Bauer, Brady, Horan, Mawene, Rodriguez-Gentile (T. Mawene 75’), Stewart, Woodburn, Evans (Nelson 46’) PNE unused subs: Davis, Brindle