Preston find efforts are to no avail

Vale took the lead after just four minutes of play, when a deflected shot from Scott Moffat found the net.

They doubled their lead in the 20th minute when a long clearance upfield put the home defence under pressure and Vale's Graeme Cole got the break of the ball to find himself with only keeper Ross Gilpin to beat and fired home.

Five minutes later, Vale had a great chance to make it three as Preston captain Craig Scott blocked a John Hall shot with his arm and the referee pointed to the spot. Jamie Lauder stepped forward to take the penalty, but his effort came back off the post and Kerr Dodds, following up for Vale, could only blast the rebound over the bar.

Preston made a good start to the second half, but suffered a blow as Vale notched another in the 54th minute, Moffat again finding the target with a blistering shot. Vale's Dodds rounded off the scoring in injury time when substitute David Anderson spotted Dodds's diagonal run across the area and threaded a pass through which the midfielder controlled before slipping a low shot into the net.

Preston Athletic: Gilpin, Laidlaw, Lee, Miller, Scott, Collins, Martin, McColl, Pagliarulo, Lothian, Wilson. Subs: McAuley, Houston, Byrne, Thomson.

Vale of Leithen: Walker, Milligan, Lauder, Hall, Lee, Greenhill, Gillon (Beaton 32), Dodds, Moffat (Radzynski 72), Doohan, Cole (Anderson 69). Subs: Miller, Horn.

Preston Athletic 0

Vale of Leithen 4