Preston North End 3 Wimbledon 5

Last updated : 07 December 2002 By Footymad Previewer

He said the display was unacceptable, uncharacteristic and full of careless errors.

Preston took the lead in the ninth minute when Eddie Lewis' left-wing cross fell to Pawel Abbott but Mikele Leigertwood deflected the ball into the corner of the net off his shin.

David Lucas made several excellent saves from David Connolly, Joel McAnuff and Mark Williams as the Dons threatened to equalise.

However, the Dons did eventually grab an equaliser in the 40th minute when Neil Shipperley played a one-two with Connolly, before shooting into the bottom left-hand corner of the net from ten yards.

Preston made it 2-1 almost immediately with a 20-yard shot by Paul McKenna that flew into the net off the post.

Preston were awarded a penalty in the 55th minute when Peter Hawkins fouled Abbott and Graham Alexander slotted the spot-kick home.

Connolly scored his second goal of the game from the penalty spot when Dickson Etuhu fouled McAnuff and he hit his penalty to the keeper's left.

McAnuff made it 3-3 when he beat Rob Edwards before hitting the ball into the net from Nigel Reo-Coker's pass and McAnuff scored again in the 82nd minute with a shot into the top right-hand corner of the net from Shipperley’s long ball.

The fourth official signalled four extra minutes and it was 18-year-old Reo-Coker who made the score 5-3 to Wimbledon when Lucas was drawn from his goal on the right-hand side and the ball was played across for the teenager to beat the two defenders on the line.