Preston North End's Liam Lindsay scoresplaceholder image
Preston North End's Liam Lindsay scores | CameraSport - Richard Martin-Roberts
PNE twice led in the Carabao Cup second round tie but crashed out in the dying embers
The Lilywhites’ first round encounter at Barrow had been far from a classic, but it was action packed from the off against the Red Dragons. Making his debut for the club, loan man Lewis Dobbin made the ultimate first impression with just seven minutes on the clock. Youngster Theo Carroll fed the ball into his path; Dobbin took it in his stride, worked room for the shot and placed his effort, exquisitely, into the top right corner.
One thing Wrexham do have in their ranks is goals, and just four minutes later they were level in quite remarkable fashion. Whether he meant it or not, there was nothing PNE goalkeeper Jack Walton could do to keep out Ryan Hardie’s wicked, whipped strike from the left of the box, into the far corner. North End almost retook the lead instantly, but Arthur Okonkwo was on hand to parry Pol Valentin’s crisp volley.
Just after the half-hour mark, though, Paul Heckingbottom’s side were back in front. The momentum had been with the home side and from Alfie Devine’s inviting corner, Liam Lindsay - captain for the night - arrived to bullet home from close range. Tottenham loanee Devine had been influential throughout and he came close to extending Preston’s advantage, right before the break.
Devine’s free-kick was glanced on by the Wrexham wall and forced Okonkwo into making a fingertip save, at full stretch. Another opportunity came North End’s way in first half injury time and fellow loan man, Daniel Jebbison, must’ve thought he’d opened his account for the club. After being slipped in by Dobbin, though, the Canada international saw his dinked effort come back off the post.
Phil Parkinson’s side were never going to lie down though and those spurned chances came back to haunt PNE, when Harry Ashfield drew Wrexham level just before the hour. The 19-year-old hit the target from 20 yards and saw his curled shot pass through a crowd of bodies, before creeping into the back of the North End net - Walton just unable to reach it.
With 20 minutes to go Preston were dealt a further blow, with Milutin Osmajic forced off the pitch just 10 minutes after entering the action. The Montenegro international - who has scored in all three Championship games to date - looked to be suffering back/hip pain and had to be withdrawn. The tie, for all the world, looked to be heading to a penalty shootout.
Michael Smith - linked with Wrexham earlier this year - forced Okonkwo into another smart save with a dipping strike from distance. The killer blow was to be landed at the other end, though, with Red Dragons substitute Kieffer Moore pouncing after Jack Walton failed to keep hold of a cross. The Wales international stabbed home from a yard or so out, to send the away fans into raptures and Wrexham into the hat.
Attendance: 12,350 (2,557 away) PNE starting XI: Walton; Offiah, Lindsay, Hughes (Small 75’), Valentin (Storey 61’), Vukcevic, Thordarson, Carroll, Devine, Dobbin (Smith 46’), Jebbison (Osmajic 61’) (Whiteman 71’) PNE unused subs: Iversen, McCann, Gryba.
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