Preston North End 3, Wycombe Wanderers 2.

SOMETIMES the scoreline doesn’t tell the story.

Wanderers produced an outstanding first half performance and could on several occasions have added to the lead Marcello Trotta gave them early on against a ragged Preston side.

They looked a team totally transformed from the humiliation against Huddersfield Town last Friday night and although North End levelled before the break all the talk at half time was how many Blues would go on to win by.

Debutant Anthony Stewart had won everything in the air against Jake Jervis and looked composed with the ball, goalscorer Trotta looked back to his effervescent best as he led the Preston defence a merry dance and Kadeem Harris carried on where he left off against North End in September with a lively show.

But Wanderers were paid to pay for not taking their chances when on top – although a Beavon header was ruled out for a foul – and Preston punished them twice from corners.

Conceding at set pieces has been a worrying Achilles heel all year for Wycombe and they were undone twice at Deepdale by a Preston side who were reduced to ten men long before the end of the game.

Although the side had a different look to it from last time out the same problems reared their ugly head and until it’s addressed Wanderers look set to stay in the drop zone.

Trotta netted again with minutes remaining to set up a grandstand finish but Wanderers couldn’t level in the six nerve-shredding minutes of added time.

Manager Gary Waddock rang the changes after last week’s embarrassing defeat against Huddersfield, with striker Ben Strevens being recalled to the side along with Harris and 19-year-old Stewart as he made three alterations to the side thumped 6-0.

The new-look side were a credit to Blues in the opening period and prevented Preston from having a look-in, with Steven Smith twice fluffing his cross when put into a good position.

That solid platform encouraged Wanderers to break and they scored with the game’s first real attack. A moment of typical Stuart Beavon industry, as he badgered a defender into making a mistake, meant the ball dropped into the path of his strike partner Trotta. His first-time shot was superbly saved by Thorsten Stuckman but the keeper could do nothing to prevent the Italian from firing home his seventh goal in eight games from the rebound.

It was just the shot in the arm Blues needed. Harris ghosted inside and forced Stuckman into a near post save from his shot before Trotta extended Preston’s German goalkeeper again when he got down to turn away his effort.

Before the game Preston confirmed Graham Westley as their new manager and the former Stevenage boss will have been unimpressed with what he saw, as a superior Wanderers side penned the home side back and ensured a deathly hush from the North End fans descend on Deepdale.

Their side were unable to cope with the skill of Trotta, who turned David Gray after collecting a clearing header from Clarke Carlisle and had his shot blocked. From the resulting corner Beavon headed in off the bar but referee Phil Gibbs said Blues’ top scorer had fouled someone in doing so and the strike was contentiously chalked off.

A clever run from Beavon saw Wanderers break Preston’s offside trap but Blues couldn’t add to their total as his pass was a shade behind Harris, who was in for a tap in had he had better service.

Beavon then blasted wide before having a shot well saved by Stuckman after Strevens’ clever dummy had parted the home defence – which led to boos echoing around the famous old ground.

Those boos turned to cheers five minutes before the break with an undeserved equaliser. Nikki Bull was finally called into action when he turned Paul Coutts’ shot behind for a corner. From the delivery the ball was nodded down for Harry Bunn – making his debut for Preston after joining on loan from Manchester City – to sweep home from close range as Wanderers appealed for a foul against Stewart.

It wasn’t given and Blues could feel hard done by not to be in front at half time, although it could have been worse had Stewart not shut the door on goalscorer Bunn as he bore down on goal in injury time.

The excellent debutant produced a fantastic block from a dangerous low right wing cross at the start of the second half as Wanderers knew Preston surely couldn’t be as bad again after their dismal first half showing.

Whilst they were finally starting to give Blues something to chew over going forward they still looked porous at the back and Beavon was denied when Craig Morgan threw himself at a shot that came about after a sloppy pass.

And before an hour had been played Preston had turned things around as they took advantage of Wanderers’ biggest weakness this season.

Once again Blues failed to defend properly from a corner and although the first chance from Carlisle’s header was blocked, the visitors couldn’t get it away and Jervis – who had barely had a kick until this point – reacted quickest to bundle home from a matter of inches.

Minutes later it was worse. Alarm bells rang again as Wanderers conceded another corner and this time Stewart tugged back Morgan and after a moment’s hesitation referee Gibbs awarded it. Paul Parry stepped up and sent Bull the wrong way from the spot.

The flurry of activity wasn’t done as Smith made his second daft tackle on Harris of the game and was rewarded with the first use of the showers as he received his second booking.

That prompted an attacking change from Waddock as winger Joel Grant replaced full-back Grant Basey and his first act was to whip in a low ball that Strevens and Beavon just failed to tuck away, before Stuart Lewis curled narrowly wide from 25 yards.

Deepdale legend Gareth Ainsworth was given a huge ovation when he was introduced with five minutes left and his presence in the box opened up the space for Trotta to fire home a second Blues goal with minutes left as Stuckman couldn’t hold on to a shot.

With six minutes of injury time signalled Blues must have fancied their chances of snatching a draw but with fingernails chewed down to the bone Preston managed to hold out.

Wanderers: Bull, McCoy (sub Ainsworth), Foster, Stewart, Basey (sub Grant), Harris, Bloomfield, Lewis, Strevens, Beavon, Trotta. Substitutes not used: Tunnicliffe, Rendell, Kewley-Graham.

Attendance: 10,142