Watching Gascoigne sees Burnley take local honours

Burnley 2 Preston North End 1

With their new signing Paul Gascoigne watching on, Burnley gained a thrilling win over their Lancashire rivals in an action-packed derby at Turf Moor last night. The former England midfielder was paraded before the start of the game to rapturous applause, then watched from the stands. He missed the deadline to play after leaving Everton on Saturday and will make his debut in Wednesday's home game with Bradford City.

The Clarets took command in the opening half over a side badly missing their departed manager, David Moyes. Ian Moore and their new loan signing David Johnson grabbed the goals that gave the Clarets three points and moved them up to fourth in the First Division table.

For Preston, however, it was an evening to forget as they got going much too late. They remain five points off the play-off places.

Johnson was the instigator in the early opening goal. He harried Preston's goalkeeper David Lucas after a long kick from his own custodian, Marlon Beresford. Lucas's misplaced kick fell to Moore 20 yards out, and the striker controlled the ball well before deftly lobbing the retreating goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

Johnson then missed a glorious chance to put his new side two up when he raced on to a Tony Grant through ball, but saw his low effort saved at full stretch by Lucas. However, he made amends in style in the 25th minute, again outpacing the defence, finding the bottom corner of the net with a left-foot shot.

Burnley should have wrapped the game up six minutes later when Ian Moore beat the offside trap, but shot straight at Lucas when his namesake Alan was unmarked in front of an open goal.

Johnson missed another gilt-edged chance to put the home side out of reach, but he fired into the side-netting after rounding Lucas.

Preston at last started to come into the game and it took a great save by Beresford from a Dickson Etuhu shot to keep the home side two goals clear. The substitute Iain Anderson set up a tense finale when he fired past Beresford in the 84th minute, and chances came and went for both sides in a gripping final few minutes.

Goals: I Moore (5) 1-0; Johnson (25) 2-0; Anderson (84) 2-1.

Burnley: Beresford; West, Thomas, Cox, Briscoe, Weller (Little, 59), Grant, Ball, A Moore, I Moore (Blake, 88), Johnson (Cook 72). Substitutes not used: Michopoulos (gk), Payton.

Preston North End: Lucas; Alexander, Edwards, Lucketti, Gregan, Cartwright (Anderson, 64), Etuhu (Gudjonsson, 90), Rankine, Keane, Cresswell, Healy (Basham, 84). Substitutes not used: Moilanen (gk), Eaton.

Referee: P Durkin (Portland).

Booking: Preston: Alexander.

Attendance: 18,388.