It was all even at the end of the game, but no neutral would have been able to tell that one team had just come up from the Conference, and the other are a respectable First Division team that could boast about being in the play-off final two seasons ago.
It was Kevin Gall that was firing from all cylinders, as he scored an hat-trick, and the Yeovil fans must be excited for the season ahead, as they looked to have a very good chance to stay in the third division from the way they performed.
North End’s bad luck started when they failed to get to the ground on time and delayed the kick-off, but at the start of the game Cresswell had a great chance from an Alexander corner, but it was all a scramble in the 6-yard box and he scuffed it.
Collis had an easy save to make from a Fuller shot a minute later, but Yeovil made it the second team to score early against the Whites in pre-season friendlies. Gosling collected the ball outside the box after Lucketti cleared from a corner, and lofted it to Gall that had the easy job to just flick it past ‘keeper Gould.
It was Gall after 9 minutes who fed the ball through to Johnson, after a break down the left hand side. He crossed it to Johnson, who had a shot from the edge of the box, but blasted it wide.
North End equalised on the 20th minute when a corner by Alexander swerved to the near post, and Etuhu flicked it on accurately to Jackson, who ran in from the edge of the box and nodded home.
The Whites dominated the rest of the half, with Fuller nearly getting back to where he finished before he got injured last season. He put Preston ahead on 30 minutes when a Cartwright cross on the right perfectly met the head of Fuller, who nodded it past the keeper in the 6 yard box. And he also put PNE two in front 5 minutes later when he was left unmarked in the box and headed home from a corner.
But the away team shockingly conceded two goals in 3 minutes to let the Glovers go in even at half time. And both of them came from Kevin Gall who could have taken the ball home at half time!!
The first one came when Johnson fed it into the box for Lockwood. He flicked it onto Gall who hit it past Gould from 7 yards. And yet again concentration lapses in the defence for the First Division team gave Yeovil an equalizer in injury time. Preston gave the ball away cheaply and Gall blasted it on his right foot past Gould who had no chance.
Preston came back out and scored on 54th minutes to be ahead yet again. This time it was Cresswell who opened his goal scoring account for the new season. But it was Fuller who went past his marker with ease to get to the by-line and crossed a neat ball for Cresswell to head past the Glover’s ‘keeper.
But from previous equalisers, you couldn’t underestimate Yeovil's chance of coming back in the game, and they did deservedly 5 minutes before time. Jake Edwards scored a header for the Glovers, after Lindegaard put in a cross to the far post.