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+----- Thread: Friendly thread (/showthread.php?tid=6871)
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 10-07-2018
Next up Fylde at Mill Farm 7/7/2018
A.F.C. Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wesham in 1988, the club adopted its current name in 2008 after winning the FA Vase. They are currently members of the National League, the fifth tier of English football, and play at Mill Farm in Wesham.
![[Image: afc-fylde-mill-farm-south-terrace-150065...svknc1.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/afc-fylde-mill-farm-south-terrace-1500657103_zpsansvknc1.jpg.html)
A first visit to the newest ground on the Fylde coast which is just off the M55 at Kirkham, upwardly mobile Fylde are just about to swtart their second season in the National League top division having almost done what Fylde coast neighbours Fleetwood have done by trying to get from the West Lancashire League to the Football League, they hope to achieve this aim by 2022 they seem to be well in front of were they want to be.
Of course to achieve this aim you need a rich benefactor which they have, so having a budget to dwarf most sides they have worked their way effortlessly through the leagues. Personally have no time for these sort of clubs.
Have been to Mill Farm once for a league game against Curzon Ashton last season decent ground but a soulless atmosphere won't be going back.
However that's the modern way of football whether you like it or not.
They will provide a decent test for North End as we wend our way to an inevtable place in the Premier League in 2019/20
As with last Saturday the vast amount of the squad will get game time however it will be interesting to see if the likes of Boyle, O'Connor, Doyle, Pringle, and Vermijl will be in the squads if not will give an idea of what will happen to them before the start of the season
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 14-07-2018
Won 6-1
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 15-07-2018
The Lilywhites made it 13 goals in two pre-season games with another sharp-shooting display on their first visit to Mill Farm.
Paul Huntington got the scoring underway, converting Josh Harrop’s corner, before Callum Robinson scored a brace either side of half-time against Dave Challinor’s AFC Fylde.
Sean Maguire then made it five goals in just 75 pre-season minutes, with two stunning strikes, having come on as a substitute on the hour mark, before Andrew Hughes scored his first goal in a PNE shirt after an excellent overlapping run from left back.
The Coasters scored a consolation goal via a trialist from the penalty spot with three minutes to go, but in reality it could have been more than the six it ended up with some more impressive forward play from Alex Neil’s side.
Where the previous week at Bamber Bridge the manager chose two separate XIs that played 45 minutes each, this time it was a 60-30 split for his two sides.
It was another game where North End had over 20 attempts on goal, but it took until the 20-minute mark to get the opener. It came from an excellent inswinging corner from Harrop on the left-hand side and skipper Paul Huntington got across his marker at the front post to flick a powerful header across goal into the top right-hand corner.
This seemed to open up the floodgates and it could have been four or five by the interval. Daryl Horgan looked a bright spark and he drove down the right and put over a deep cross for Louis Moult, who did everything right, heading down, only for Jay Lynch in the home goal to tip the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner – another quality ball from Harrop again found Moult, but once again the keeper was up to the task, making another impressive tip over.
Just after the half hour mark a superb PNE break saw Graham Burke thrust forward with pace and direct running and he dragged a defender to him, before squaring to an unmarked Robinson. He was one on one with the goalkeeper, but it was the Fylde No.1 who came out on top with a brilliant block.
However, the new No.7 wasn’t to be denied two minutes later as he picked up the ball 18 yards out on the edge of the box, shifted the ball quickly out of his feet and connected with a sweet drive low into the bottom left hand corner for the second of the game.
And it became a hat-trick of chances for Robinson a minute later as this time Moult played an excellent ball out to the left-hand side to find his fellow forward, and he cut inside and fired goalwards, only for Lynch to once again impressively deny the PNE man.
The one-way traffic continued after the interval. Darnell Fisher’s right wing cross found Burke at the back post, but his shot was saved by the Coasters’ No.1 and then the former Shamrock Rovers man on 58 minutes picked up the ball off the feet of Harrop and curled a beautiful left-footed shot which this time beat the keeper all ends up, but came back off the left hand post and Robinson fired the rebound over the bar.
However, Robinson’s last touch of the game, on the hour mark, was a stunning strike as he collected the ball outside the left corner of the box and curled a vicious dipping shot back across goal into the top right-hand corner for number three of the afternoon.
There were 11 changes before the resumption after the goal and it took only three minutes for Maguire to add the team’s fourth of the afternoon with his first touch of the game. And it was a superb strike curling a half volley first time into the bottom left corner of the goal from 18 yards.
He was denied a second on 68 minutes by a post, after a header down from Billy Bodin, but last season’s top scorer added his second and North End’s fifth with 19 minutes to go; this time an Alan Browne through ball sent him clean through and he dinked a wonderful finish past the goalkeeper into the empty net.
It was 6-0 with ten minutes to go with left back Hughes getting in on the act. He had been keen to join up with the attacking side of the team from the off and was on hand with a poacher’s finish from eight yards out, poking home after a strong run down the left.
A consolation penalty came with three minutes to go, when one of many AFC Fylde trialists sent Declan Rudd the wrong way after Calum Woods had been adjudged to have pushed the home side’s left winger in the penalty area, but it was little solace from a game the Lilywhites had illustrated their preparations for the new Championship season were on track.
![[Image: Large_zpsu2csbtfk.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/Large_zpsu2csbtfk.jpg.html)
PNE line-up (First 60 minutes): Maxwell, Fisher, Johnson, Pearson, Huntington ©, Davies, Horgan, Burke, Moult, Harrop, Robinson.
PNE line-up (Last 30 minutes): Rudd, Woods, Hughes, Ledson, Storey, Boyle, Bodin, Gallagher, Maguire, Browne, Barkhuizen.
Subs not used: Baxter, O’Reilly.
AFC Fylde line-up: Lynch, Montrose, Angol, Byrne, Tunnicliffe, Bond ©, Croasdale, Rowe, Philliskirk, Trialist 1, Trialist 2. Subs: Griffiths, Tasdemir, L Burke, 7 Trialists.
Referee: D McNamara
Attendance: 1,812
Cobh Ramblers v Preston North End 17/7/20178 at Turners Cross Cork
And off we go to the Republic of Ireland to play one match and have a weeks training on Fota Island. The only game to be played is against Cobh Ramblers who lost 2-1 at Home to Galway on Saturday.
Cobh Ramblers
CRFC was originally a field hockey club but until the British withdrawal from Ireland many club members played football with the soldiers who were stationed at Cobh, leading to the Ramblers' eventual re-formation as a football club.
Ramblers played in the 1976 FAI League Cup, reaching the semi finals.
Cobh Ramblers joined the League of Ireland in 1985, after many successful years as a Munster Senior League side. One of the most successful of those teams was the team of 1983, who got to the semi final of the FAI Cup humbling many senior clubs on the way. They met Sligo Rovers in the semi-final that year and captured the imagination of the Irish footballing public, drawing crowds of over 20,000 to Flower Lodge for the home games as St Colmans Park was too small. There were 3 replays until Sligo finally won 3–2 and went on to win the Cup.
Cobh won promotion to the Premier Division in 1988, after finishing First Division runners-up to Athlone Town. Lasting just one season in the top flight, they won promotion again at the end of the 1992–93 season, this time as runners-up to Galway United. A play-off win over Finn Harps saw Ramblers retain their Premier Division status at the end of the 1993–94 season, but the club were relegated in second-last place the following year.
With Ramblers having played all but four of their League of Ireland campaigns in the First Division, they rarely get to play their local rivals Cork City, a Premier Division team, with the two usually only being able to match up in pre-season friendlies and the occasional cup match, Cobh being the minnows in terms of League of Ireland experience.
In recent years, fan numbers have not been as high as they were during the glory days when Ramblers were in the top flight of Irish football and playing glamorous pre-season matches against the likes of Celtic and Arsenal. Though even with its lower attendance at home matches (usually about 600 or so, over 1000 for the 2008 season), the fans in attendance are loyal and take part in club fund-raisers and events as well as watching the match. It is hoped though that with a new younger generation becoming interested in the League of Ireland, due to promotion of the league and sport as a whole, that attendance and the fortunes of the club might improve.
Ramblers appeared on live television for the first time on Friday, 10 November 2006 in an away fixture at Galway United, where they lost 1–0.
On 10 November 2007 Cobh Ramblers beat Athlone Town 1–0 in Lissywoollen in what was a tense and nervous display. This victory gave Cobh Ramblers their first piece of Senior Silverware and crowned them First Division Champions. During the 2007 season, with their young squad, they recorded a 27-game unbeaten run, keeping 22 clean sheets.[4] Their points tally of 77 points was also a record for the league.
However, after suffering relegation from the League of Ireland Premier Division, Ramblers subsequently failed to obtain a licence for the First Division due to financial constrainst and so compete in the Newstalk A Championship (Ireland's third tier).
In 2010 Ramblers missed out on gaining promotion back to the League of Ireland losing to Salthill Devon in a play off.[5]
The Ramblers most noted past player is former Irish international and Manchester United star Roy Keane,[6] while Irish international Stephen Ireland is a product of the Youth System. Westlife singer Nicky Byrne, also a talented footballer who was on the books at Leeds United, had a spell with the club too.
On 18 March 2014, the club parted company with manager Dave Hill by mutual consent after five years. He was replaced by Martin Cambridge on an interim basis. In March 2015 Martin Cambridge tendered his resignation and Stephen Henderson returned to the club as first team manager. In Oct 2015 Stephen Henderson signed a new three-year contract with the club. In 2016 Henderson guided Ramblers to munster senior cup victory and to a 3rd-place finish in the first division. Cobh Ramblers were the only side to defeat first division champions Limerick that season and this coincided with a run of 5 victories in their last 5 league games to reach the play offs. They narrowly lost 3–2 on aggregate to Drogheda Utd despite overturning a 2–0 deficit in the return leg at United Park after only nine minutes.
Pictured below is Cobh's ground which we won't be using
![[Image: st-colmans-park_zpsogqgkqgs.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/st-colmans-park_zpsogqgkqgs.jpg.html)
No doubt more mix and match squad for us.
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 17-07-2018
5-0 win in Ireland, Barkhuizen 3 Clarke and Burke
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 18-07-2018
Tom Barkhuizen got off the mark in pre-season, scoring a first half hat-trick, as North End made it 18 goals in three pre-season games with a 5-0 win over Cobh Ramblers.
Skipper Tom Clarke was also on the score sheet, along with Irishman Graham Burke – on his return to his homeland – as the Lilywhites recorded a comfortable victory at Turner’s Cross, the home of Cork City.
Barkhuizen scored two from the edge of the box, before Clarke headed home a third and then the PNE No.29 completed his treble by closing down the host side’s goalkeeper to make it 4-0 at the interval.
Burke scored an excellent free kick with seven minutes to go, to make it a good night for the green-clad side in front of a vocal following support, who had travelled across for the game.
It took only five minutes for the opening goal to arrive, as Barkhuizen collected the ball on left, drove inside to the edge of the box and fired a hard low effort into the corner of keeper Adam Mylod’s goal.
And the same man repeated the act with a similar second on 17 minutes. This time he picked the ball up about 45 yards out, drove forward, taking advantage of a ricochet before connecting right footed and directing the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
The third came on 39 minutes, as the visitors recycled a corner well, finding Billy Bodin, who crossed deep to the back post to where Clarke rose highest to head down and in off the goalkeeper, sneaking inside the left hand upright.
Barkhuizen made his hat-trick complete right on half-time, the high press forcing the goal as he closed down goalkeeper Mylod, getting a block in on the attempted clearance, the ball ricocheting off him and nestling nicely in the bottom left hand corner of the goal.
Cobh started the second half well with David Hurley driving goalwards, just wide of Declan Rudd’s left hand upright just before the hour mark, the time that brought 11 changes from North End, with the starting line-up from the win at AFC Fylde coming on to the Turner’s Cross pitch.
Chances continued to come for PNE after the alterations, Louis Moult finding the target from 22 yards, after some great movement and pass from Josh Harrop, only for Mylod to dive at full stretch to deny PNE’s No.9.
On the counter the Lilywhites also looked dangerous, Harrop broke down the right on 75 minutes, coming into a central area, finding Callum Robinson, who in turn squared the ball left to Burke, but he dragged his shot just wide of the left hand post.
![[Image: Large_zpszj3fzrn7.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/Large_zpszj3fzrn7.jpg.html)
But the former Shamrock Rovers man was not to be denied with seven minutes to go, Callum Robinson was brought down 20 yards out in a left hand channel and Harrop and Burke stood over it. Seemingly it was the No.10 to take it, but Burke took it quickly and powerfully, drilling the ball left footed into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
Harrop almost added a sixth in the closing stages, finding the outside of the left hand post, after some good build up play involved Burke and Horgan, but it was to be five and another good work out for Alex Neil’s side.
PNE line-up (First 60 minutes): Rudd, Woods, Hughes, Pearson, Clarke ©, Storey, Bodin, Gallagher, Maguire, Browne, Barkhuizen.
PNE line-up (Last 30 minutes): Maxwell, Fisher, Johnson, Pearson, Huntington ©, Davies, Horgan, Burke, Moult, Harrop, Robinson.
Subs not used: Baxter, O’Reilly.
Cobh Ramblers line-up: A Mylod, Fleming, O'Riordan, McSweeney, Christopher, Taylor, Hurley, I Mylod, Hull, Kenny, Sh O'Connor. Subs: Hunt, Leonard, Kabia, Sadys, St O'Connor, Fernandes, Wall, Crowley, Trialist, Cronin.
Attendance: TBC
Referee: Anthony Buttimer
NULL
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 18-07-2018
Colne 2 Under 18's ish 1
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 19-07-2018
A Premiership double header at Deepdale on Saturday and Monday against two sides who both play in Claret and Blue, first up West Ham United who we last played in a competitive game in 2005 on a neutral ground in Cardiff.
They won 1-0 ball crossed in from the left hand side Davies and Hill both slip and Zamora shins ball home, and into the top division go the Hammers.
![[Image: 71iHa6Z6QkL._SX679__zpsj1th5qzc.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/71iHa6Z6QkL._SX679__zpsj1th5qzc.jpg.html)
The Hammers are rare visitors to Deepdale and will prove a good test for us. Last seasons struggles under Moyes are now past they have appointed Pellegrini as boss and have splashed some serious cash this summer paying 36 million for Anderson from Lazio as you do, Wilshere from Arsenal on a free, Fabianski from Swansea, they already had Chicarito, Arnautovic from last season plus our ex Hugill who will not get near the first team squad as a regular.
Still unhappiness over the new Stadium so if they can overcome that they could have a decent season.
On Monday night Burnley arrive suspect this will be a lower key match given the Clarets are due to play Aberdeen in the Europa League on the following Thursday.
![[Image: download%202_zpsziqgznkl.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/download%202_zpsziqgznkl.jpg.html)
Finishing were they did to qualify for Europe was a remarkable achievement for them and credit is down to Mr Dyche for this, he's put together a decent squad to compete at the top level, don't over spend and have a good work ethic. No major stars apart from Anders Lindegaard the professional substitute once of this parish who has made a good living out of the game by not actually playing. Suspect this will be a fringe side of those who are not likely to be involved against Aberdeen.
The usual mix and match for us before we unleash what will more than likely be the starting eleven at Boundary Park next Saturday, two weeks to the start of the season it's almost here.
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 21-07-2018
Preston North End 2 West Ham United 2
The Lilywhites twice came from behind to draw with Premier League opposition in a thoroughly entertaining pre-season game at Deepdale.
Tom Clarke, with a powerful header, and a stunning strike from Billy Bodin levelled matters after two quality finishes from West Ham United's Marko Arnautovic.
Manuel Pellegrini's Hammers were always going to be much more of a test than the three previous preparatory games, but the confidence of scoring 18 goals in those games was certainly reflected in the performance of the side selected for the first run out in PR1 this campaign.
However, it was the top flight side who took an early lead. A quick free-kick from perhaps the best free transfer of the summer, Jack Wilshere, was played over the North End backline, finding the Austrian international Arnautovic 15 yards out, he took a touch and sent Chris Maxwell the wrong way, before stroking the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
The Lilywhites reacted well to going behind for the first time this pre-season, however, and Louis Moult went close to levelling matters a quarter of an hour in, when Alan Browne swung over a cross from the right to find the No.9 on the penalty spot, but he couldn't keep his powerful header down and it was just over Adrian's bar.
Ben Pearson was forced off midway through the opening period, with Ryan Ledson replacing the No.4, but North End continued to be on the front foot and they were deservedly level after 40 minutes.
Darnell Fisher had been fouled 40 yards out in a right-hand channel and Paul Gallagher put over a deep cross into the box. Clarke rose highest above Issa Diop to head powerfully past the visitors' Andalusian keeper and into the top left-hand corner of the Bill Shankly Kop end's goal.
But United were back in front on the stroke of half-time and it was Arnautovic again. This time, multi-million pound summer recruit from Borussia Dortmund, Andriy Yarmolenko collected the ball on the right hand side of the box, squared it to the No.7 with his back to goal and in one movement he spun and shot a superb curling effort into the bottom right hand corner from 15 yards, giving Chris Maxwell no chance.
Wilshere was replaced at the break and after the interval it was the PNE midfield who dominated the middle of the park, which meant the ball was being won high up the pitch, creating plenty of scoring opportunities.
Five minutes into the second period Browne rose with Declan Rice to meet Gallagher's left footed cross from the left-hand side. The Irishman headed against the defender that took it narrowly wide, but a corner was not given - one of a number of interesting decisions from the assistant in the North End attacking section during the latter half.
Twice before the hour mark the home side felt disappointed not to be level. Firstly Tom Barkhuizen collected a long ball forward, turned inside Rice 20 yards out and curled an effort that Adrian palmed around the post for a corner.
Then shortly after there was a brilliant save from the Hammers' stopper from Browne on the half volley from 20 yards out after superb work and lay off from Moult on the edge of the box.
On the stroke of 60 minutes a corner was recycled by the Lilywhites and after a deep ball Browne put it back in the mixer, before it was cleared out to Daryl Horgan, who with a quick cross found Moult, who fired goalwards and Adrian tipped the ball over, only for a corner again not to be given.
Shortly after, the visitors had a chance to extend their lead after Josh Earl was adjudged to have brought down Ryan Fredericks in the penalty area; referee Ben Toner pointing straight to the spot. The West Ham skipper Mark Noble stepped up, but Maxwell guessed the right way, going low to his left to brilliantly keep the ball out and then dive on the ricocheting ball.
![[Image: Large_zpsikefrfcf.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/Large_zpsikefrfcf.jpg.html)
With 18 minutes to go, PNE thought it wasn't to be their afternoon as Clarke had the ball in net once again, coolly converting substitute Billy Bodin's cross from the right, but the flag went up for offside; video showing he was three yards onside when the ball was played!
However, they were level with 14 minutes to go and what a strike it was too! Andrew Hughes had come on for his Deepdale-debut and hit a superb 60-yard diagonal from left to right, and Bodin took the ball into his stride with a fantastic first touch, before sending the defender a dummy and firing with the outside of his right foot into the bottom right hand corner from 12 yards - it was a great piece of play that brought the crowd off their feet and was the very minimum of what the team deserved for their performance.
And they had chances to win it as well. With seven minutes to go, another substitute Sean Maguire took a brilliant touch on the right, drove in, saw his cross blocked, it came back to Bodin, who again saw a driven ball blocked, but it was good pressure by PNE.
The visitors, with their quality, were still dangerous and a Robert Snodgrass cross and a Toni Martinez header three minutes from time brought the best from Maxwell, as he tipped the ball onto and over the bar.
But the best and last chance to win the game came in the 89th minute as Bodin shot across goal after a good bit of control from Ledson's through ball, but the effort driven just wide of the left hand upright, when if it had been six inches to the right it would have been another stunner, but it was not to be and both sides ended up with a share of the spoils after a really entertaining afternoon.
PNE line-up: Maxwell, Fisher, Earl (Hughes, 65), Pearson (Ledson, 20), Clarke ©, Davies, Horgan, Gallagher (Harrop, 77), Moult (Maguire, 77), Browne, Barkhuizen (Bodin, 66). Subs not used: Rudd, Robinson, Johnson, Storey, Woods, Burke, Huntington.
West Ham United line-up: Adrian, Diop (Ogbonna, 79), Arnautovic (Martinez, 75) Snodgrass, Obiang, Fredericks, Noble ©, Wilshere (Saksumanovic, 46), Yarmolenko (Holland, 65), Masuaku (Zabaleta, 79), Rice. Subs not used: Trott, Cullen, Samuelsen, Coventry.
Attendance: 5,960 (940 West Ham United fans)
Referee: Mr B Toner
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 23-07-2018
Lost 2-3 to Burnley, Harrop and Robinson score for us
RE: Friendly thread - themaclad - 24-07-2018
Preston North End 2 Burnley 3
North End came out on the wrong end of another entertaining pre-season encounter, losing by the odd-goal in five to Premier League side Burnley at Deepdale.
Josh Harrop opened the scoring for PNE, firing low into the bottom left hand corner of the goal mid-way through the first half, only for Aaron Lennon to level matters with a driven effort from just inside the box shortly after.
The Premier League outfit put themselves ahead for the first time with 17 minutes to go when substitute Dan Agyei headed home, but Callum Robinson responded two minutes later after some excellent combination play with Sean Maguire.
But the winner came six minutes from time with an excellent strike on the half-volley by Dwight McNeil from 25 yards out, giving the visitors the result.
![[Image: Large_zpshciwep5b.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/themaclad/media/Large_zpshciwep5b.jpg.html)
The game had a bright opening, with both clubs playing at a high tempo and showing good touches. The East Lancashire side had the first chance, when Irish international Jeff Hendrick had a shot from 15 yards out after a knock down from a corner, just wide of right hand upright.
A good break by Maguire from half-way saw the No.24 drive at heart of Clarets backline 19 minutes in, laying the ball left to Robinson, but his curling effort was too high to test Heaton.
At the half’s midway point the visitors were denied by two superb bits of defending from PNE. Sean Dyche’s side had broken down the left, with the ball fed into Sam Vokes 12 yards out. The Welshman looked to have found the bottom left hand corner, but for an excellent block by Lilywhites’ skipper Paul Huntington.
The ball came straight out to former Everton man Lennon 15 yards out, who fired a vicious drive goalwards, but Declan Rudd had got back into position and made a superb two-handed save, with Ben Pearson tidying up.
And this paid dividends two minutes later as the home side went ahead. This time Graham Burke went down the left, feeding the ball across to Maguire. He shaped to shoot, driving back inside, sliding the ball across to Harrop, who found the bottom left hand corner of the Burnley captain’s goal from a right-hand channel, 15 yards out.
The lead lasted three minutes as Burnley created an overload down the left, the ball being pulled back from the left-hand edge of the area to Hendrick, who fired goalwards. Huntington again make a fine block, but this time Lennon found the top right-hand corner from 18 yards on the rebound to level matters.
With the game approaching half-time some excellent build-up play by Daniel Johnson and Andrew Hughes carved out a chance for Callum Robinson, who turned away from his marker well, before curling an effort from the edge of ‘D’ that had Heaton back-pedalling, but it was just onto the roof of his goal. Then moments later, fellow Irish forward Burke dragged a shot just wide of the left hand post after a good ball in from Harrop.
Just before the break Ben Mee had a real chance to send his side into the interval ahead, as he met Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s left-wing inswinging ball, but his flashing effort was just wide of the right hand upright from 12 yards out.
North End came out of the blocks at real pace in the second half and had the ball in the net just two minutes in. An excellent spin and run from Robinson from half way then saw him fire goalwards from 20 yards out – Burnley had made a change in goal at half-time and Adam Legzdins made a fantastic block, but the ball fell to Maguire who stroked home from six yards out, only for the linesman’s flag to correctly go up, as the No.24 was a yard offside when the initial shot had come in.
However, chances came quickly at the start of the half as Burke and Maguire both saw 25 yard strikes blocked by England international defender James Tarkowski in the space of 30 seconds – all before the 50 minute mark.
Ten minutes into the second half and the visitors changed their entire outfield side, with their thoughts clearly on their Europa League tie, just three evening’s away.
As the second period reached its mid-point the home side won their first corner, from some trickery by substitute Billy Bodin, but from Harrop’s outswinging cross, the Welshman, who had won the crossing opportunity, dragged his snap-shot wide of the Town End’s left-hand upright.
But it was the Clarets who took the lead for a second time with 17 minutes to go as a cross from former Stoke City man Jon Walters found Dan Agyei on the penalty spot and he headed into the top right-hand corner of the goal.
In a reversal of the first half the Lilywhites were the ones who bounced straight back and were level just two minutes later. Maguire picked up the ball 30 yards out and worked himself a bit of room with his quick feet before playing a delightful little ball in between two Burnley defenders for Robinson to burst onto and slide the ball past Legzdins off the inside of the right hand post and into the back of the net to make it 2-2.
Into the final few minutes and North End finished strongly. Robinson again forced Legzdins into a good save, diving low to his right to deny PNE’s CR7 after Bodin had threaded him into the box and allowed him to get off a driven right foot shot.
However, it was Sean Dyche's side who went back ahead six minutes from the end, McNeil with an excellent driven finish from 25 yards on the half volley, after a header put of the penalty area didn't quite have enough distance on it.
For the third time there was an almost immediate riposte as Ryan Ledson nearly opened his PNE account, seeing Kevin Long make a fine block to deny his goalbound strike after some quick thinking by Daryl Horgan to take a quick corner, however, the equaliser didn't come and the game ended 3-2.
PNE line-up: Rudd, Woods (Fisher, 71), Hughes, Pearson (Ledson, 59), Huntington ©, Storey, Burke (Bodin 63), Johnson (Moult, 72), Maguire (Horgan, 80), Harrop (Browne, 71), Robinson. Subs not used: Maxwell, Earl, Clarke, Davies, Gallagher.
Burnley line-up: Heaton © (Legzdins, 46), Lowton (Taylor, 55), Cork (Kioke, 55), Tarkowski (Goodridge, 55), Mee (Walters, 55), Gudmundsson (Wells, 55), Vokes (Bardsley, 55), Hendrick (Long, 55), Westwood (McNei, 55), Ward (Agyei, 55), Lennon (Dunne, 55). Subs not used: Benson, Younger.
Attendance: 4,934 (872 Burnley fans)
Referee: Mr P Bankes