PNE 4 READING 0 THIS was a match which had absolutely everything from start to finish - and it keeps North End in second place in the division.

Reading started brightly and twice in the early exchanges midfielder Phil Parkinson went close with good headers from set pieces.

Then in the space of 18 frantic minutes, the match reached boiling point as Preston scored three goals and Reading had Mass Sarr sent off.

North End opened the scoring when Paul McKenna floated in a corner to the back post.

Reading were all over the place and the cross looked perfect for Kurt Nogan until Michael Jackson arrived on the scene to score with a great header.

Then Sarr was booked for a foul on Moilanen and hardly had the ink dried on the yellow then here was Sarr again with a tackle on Sean Gregan which almost cut the Preston guv'nor in half.

The yellow turned to red and the Reading striker was on his way.

North End took quick advantage, another McKenna corner kick was only cleared to Mark Rankine on the edge of the box and he played in a fine cross which Jackson headed high into the roof of the net in brilliant fashion.

As the thunder roared and the lightning flashed above Deepdale, Preston put together a lovely move.

Rankine could have scored himself, but seeing David Eyres unmarked he passed to his left, Eyres was on to it in a flash and the net bulged.

At half-time it was 3-0 and already Reading were looking for damage limitation.

Preston came storming at Reading in the second half - playing some lovely football - and Nogan shot wide from just inside the box.

Rankine was making some great runs off the ball and Reading just couldn't cope with him.

From one such run he beat two men on the right of goal to set up Ryan Kidd, but the North End defender shot inches wide.

Rankine then had a shot saved by Scott Howie, Parkinson's cross was headed wide by Macken and the Reading central defenders Linvoy Primus and Andy Bernal were being run ragged.

North End should have made it four when McKenna's cross was headed across goal by Jackson. Nogan was only four yards out, but instead of finding the net he shot high over the crossbar.

A fourth goal just had to come and when it did it brought the house down.

There really was nothing on when Eyres got the ball inches inside the Reading half and out wide on the touchline.

He looked up, saw that Howie was slightly off his line and then unleashed a shot from almost 50 yards which sailed through the rain, over the head of the keeper and high into the top of the net for a dream goal.

The ground erupted to greet one of the best goals ever to be scored at Deepdale and Eyres disappeared under an avalanche of his white-shirted team-mates.

North End had several more chances to add to their goals tally, but in the end the crowd of 9,836 had to be content with four.

Preston are playing well in all departments, defenders and midfielders are getting amongst the goals and it is one of North End's best starts to a season for years.

Preston next face a difficult trip to Oldham on Saturday and they will be without Sean Gregan who is suspended.

However, if North End can get a point at Boundary Park when boss David Moyes will be well pleased.

Anything more, then you will have to believe that Preston are in business.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.