More plusses in North End loss

ENERGETIC . . . Marc Klok

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ATHLETIC 1, PRESTON 3

LIANDRO Martis was the mystery man who sets tongues wagging after a fascinating cameo during Stephen Robinson's second friendly in charge of Athletic.

The former Feyenoord and Willem II winger (20) - fast enough to catch pigeons, in the estimation of Barrow boss Paul Cox, who has also had a look at him this summer - took a short corner, demanded the return from Carl Winchester, skated around former Athletic loan man Daniel Johnson and smashed the ball through a cluster of bodies in the 72nd minute.

There weren't enough fans there for this 7pm kick-off to get a reasonable rendition of "sign him up" going for the trialist, without a name on the official team sheet.

But the 1,500 or thereabouts who attended a second straight loss to Championship opposition were impressed by his pace and threat. And they will have left reasonably content overall, particularly given what Robinson's side were up against.

Joe Garner scored two second-half goals either side of Martis's crackerjack and Eoin Doyle the other, yet they weren't even the best forward on show for North End.

HONOUR

That honour belonged to Danish target man Simon Makienok, on loan at Deepdale from Palermo, who hit a post, teed up Doyle's 19th-minute opener and generally gave the home defence the sort of rough ride who will stand them in good stead for the coming campaign.

Athletic's new signing Peter Clarke will have seen it all before.

A more unheralded arrival was Chesterfield midfield man Ollie Banks, who took a role in a central midfield trio also featuring trialist Harry Beautyman within a 3-5-2 formation for the second outing in succession.

With Cameron Burgess as the left-sided operator at the back, Banks standing at 6ft 3in and Jake Cassidy given a chance to impress up front alongside Lee Erwin, Robinson's side had a tall, robust look about it.

Simon Grayson's side opened the scoring after 19 minutes. Doyle opened up his body to side-foot across Connor Ripley and into his top-left corner after some neat passing down the left.

Callum Robinson had Ripley diving to push another out and Athletic only started to show as a threat as the half drew to a close.

Athletic's set plays were a disappointment - a few hit the front man or sailed high over everyone - and Robinson made four changes at the interval while switching to 4-4-2.

One of those, the energetic Billy Mckay, went close within seconds as he fired just wide.

Garner made it 2-0 in the 70th minute. There didn't seem too much danger when a cross was floated in from the right flank, but the striker rose to head powerfully past Ripley.

Then came the moment for Martis, two minutes later, as he lashed home an 18-yard drive that flew high through bodies to beat Chris Maxwell.

It was three goals in four minutes when North End earned a spot-kick a minute after Clarke had been subbed off.

After a spot of shirt-tugging in the area from Burgess, Garner made no mistake from the spot to make it 3-1 after 74 minutes.

Athletic: Ripley; Wilson (Martis 46), Clarke (Edmundson 73), Burgess; Law (Mantack 61), Flynn (Croft 61), Banks (Woodland 46), Beautyman (Klok 46), Reckord; Erwin (Mckay 46), Cassidy (Winchester 64).

Subs not used: Kettings, Brown, Stott.

Goal: Martis 72

Preston: Maxwell; Woods, Clarke, Wright, Cunningham; Robinson, Browne, Welsh, Johnson; Doyle, Makienok.

Subs: Hudson, Smith, Davies, Gallagher, Humphrey, Beckford, Garner, Hugill.

Goals: Doyle 19, Garner 70, pen 74.

Referee: Oliver Langford.

Att: 1,500 approx.