In the only Capital One Cup match of the night, Preston North End and Blackpool met in a feisty Lancashire derby this evening.
It was Preston who upset their neighbours from the division above by scoring a late goal to book their place in the second round.
Read how it all unfolded at a rowdy Deepdale in our minute-by-minute updates below.
Evening folks! Just the one match tonight before the flurry of fixtures tomorrow and Wednesday. No bother as it's a gritty Lancashire derby between Preston and Blackpool.
Let's waste no time in finding out the two XIs on show tonight...
PRESTON XI: Rudd, Keane, Huntingdon, Clarke, Wright, Holmes, Garner, Buchanan, Welsh, Hayhurst, Hume
BLACKPOOL XI: Gilks, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Cathcart, Robinson, Ferguson, Basham, Angel, Ince, Chopra, Davies
SUBS: And the two benches tonight:
Preston: Stuckmann, Laird, Humphrey, Wroe, Davies, King, Mousinho
Blackpool: Halstead, Harris, Bishop, Osbourne, Barkhuizen, Eccleston, Grant
Preston: Stuckmann, Laird, Humphrey, Wroe, Davies, King, Mousinho
Blackpool: Halstead, Harris, Bishop, Osbourne, Barkhuizen, Eccleston, Grant
As mentioned above, Blackpool got their season off to a great start by scoring twice late on to beat newly-promoted Doncaster. More here.
For Preston, they also avoided defeat but could only manage a goalless draw at home to Wolves. The match was one of six special 'anniversary' fixtures to commemorate 125 years of the Football League. Click here to read our match report.
Last season's Capital One Cup was certainly one to remember. We had a 7-5 between Arsenal and Reading but surely the best story was Bradford's run to the final. They came through Premier League tests against Arsenal and Villa before crumbling to Swansea 5-0 in the final. The Bantams didn't let that loss damage the rest of their season as they were promoted to League One via the playoffs and another trip to Wembley. Will either of these two sides be able to make a similar charge in this year's competition?
PREDICTION TIME! With 10 minutes until kickoff at Deepdale, it's time for my thoughts on the match ahead... It looks to be a rousing atmosphere in Preston but I'm going to favour Blackpool because of the strong XI put out by Paul Ince. His son, Thomas, is there as well as new signing Michael Chopra, who will be looking to impress on his first start for the Tangerines.
Preston manager Simon Grayson describes it as a "huge rivalry" between the two clubs and is expecting a "tense" game.
The two teams are ready to emerge in the tunnel. The atmosphere is really building inside the stadium. Great stuff.
Both sides are in their home colours, with Preston in white-navy-white and Blackpool in orange-white-orange.
KICKOFF! We're underway at Deepdale. Fair play to both sets of fans, cracking atmosphere!
It didn't take long for a tasty challenge! Hume gets to the ball before MacKenzie, who recklessly slides in to take out the Canadian. Free kick to Tranmere about 30 yards out...
Holmes goes for the top corner on Gilks's side of the goal. It's a good hit but the Blackpool keeper isn't going to be fooled and holds on.
Oddly, Ince Junior is getting a few boos from some of the home fans. Not quite sure what for, maybe they're just trying to put off the opposition's best player?
Slick interplay in the centre of midfield between Ince and Chopra releases the latter to run at the home defence. He could shoot, but instead tries to play in strike partner Davies who had strayed offside. Apart from that early Tranmere free kick, neither keeper has had anything to do.
Basham gets to the byline and does well to stand the ball up. Davies tries to meet it but is adjudged to have fouled Preston keeper Rudd. After that bright start from Preston, Blackpool have had much more of the ball in the last five.
YELLOW! Famous for his poaching ability, Chopra shows why he's not so well-known for his tackling by scything down Holmes from behind. First (of many?) booking of the match.
Ince shows off his silky feet by gliding into the area. He's on his weaker right foot though and dribbles his shot at goal that's easy for Rudd to pick up.
Goodness me. Careless play from the Preston right-back there. The ball was chested back to him from a throw and he tried an audacious first-time volley cross-field but overhit it over the other touchline.
Ince whips over a corner from the right that is met well by Cathcart. His powerful header down is blocked by the chest of Garner, who is then tugged over by Chopra looking to poach something in front of goal. The new Blackpool number eight needs to be careful as he's already been booked, remember.
Ince is fuming with referee Madley for giving a free kick against him. If my lip-reading skills serve me right, he's yelling expletives at the ref and then also makes a rude hand gesture. No-one else seems to have seen it though. Hmmmmm.
Robinson has a chance to hoist a long throw into the Preston box. Big centre-half MacKenzie is the target but it's well defended by the Lilywhites.
Ince is playing a somewhat free role and is now over on the right. He collects the ball and travels around two white shirts before slicing a shot horribly wide. Cue massive jeers from the home fans.
After a stagnant couple of minutes on the pitch, Blackpool's travelling contingent try to liven up their side with a huge chorus of "whey oh, whey oh, whey oh, whey oh!" Or something like that.
Hume lets fly from distance. It's a good, curling strike from the Canadian but Gilks knows where his post is and comfortably watches it whistle past.
CHANCE! Fabulous stuff from Ince to race away from two men and bear down on goal. He has to take the shot from the edge of the area with challenges incoming but doesn't even test Rudd by slicing it wide of the near post. Best chance of the match.
Father Paul raced out of the dugout to scream at his son after that miss but Ince wasn't interested and seemed to shout abuse back at his dad.
Robinson slips in a great through-ball for Ince but he's flagged offside by the linesman. Replays show that the winger may have been level.
Garner is brought down and Preston have a chance to put a ball in the box as ONE minute is added on.
HALF-TIME: Preston 0-0 Blackpool
A raucous atmosphere at Deepdale hasn't been matched with some inspiring footy on the pitch. It's been heated but little goalmouth action to savour.
The best chance fell to Blackpool's star player, Ince, who failed to test Rudd in the Preston goal from just inside the area.
STATS: Looking at the numbers from that opening 45, they show it's been a pretty even contest. Blackpool shaved the possession with 51%, also having one short more with five to Preston's one. There's been one booking for Chopra.
This is the only Capital One Cup fixture tonight, but there's a shedload of fixtures tomorrow. See them all here.
The two teams are emerging back out for the second half at Deepdale. Remember, no replays in the League Cup so we will have extra time and penalties if it remains a draw after 90 minutes. No subs from either boss at HT.
KICKOFF! Preston get us underway in the second half.
Bright start to the half for Preston as Hume is slipped in down the inside-right channel. Gilks is aware, though, and beats the Canadian to the ball.
AIR KICK! Ince brings down a high ball over the top and manages to dig out a low cross into the box. It's slightly ahead of the unmarked Chopra, who flings a leg at the ball but misses completely. Great start to the second 45!
CLOSE! Broadfoot's high cross to the back post is well met by Martinez under pressure from two white shirts. His header has Rudd scrambling but it goes a yard or so wide of the post.
Blackpool are really going for it now. The latest man to have a pop is MacKenzie. His half-volley is well struck but close to Rudd who holds well.
Superb defending from Broadfoot! Garner sent over a fine cross from the right that screamed GOAL but was flicked out of play under pressure by the Blackpool right-back.
Blackpool have a free kick a long way out on the right wing. Ince puts in a good ball that's searching out MacKenzie at the back. It's Broadfoot who actually meets it first but he can't direct his header on target.
It's been much more lively in this second half, you can tell that neither side particularly wants extra time. Preston have their first shot for a while as Hume blocks a clearance before guiding a left-foot shot towards the far corner. Gilks isn't worried though as it sails wide.
It looks as if Ince's night on the pitch could be over. He took a corner moments ago and immediately signalled to the bench that he had tweaked something. There's no point in Blackpool risking him.
GREAT SAVE! Hume watches a ball over his left shoulder and immediately hits it with his left foot across goal. It's a tight angle but brilliantly hit from Hume, who must think he's scored until Gilks's fingertips push it wide.
PRESTON SUB: Garner's night is over as Jack King takes his place.
By the way, that niggle that Ince seemed unhappy about appears to have passed. He's still on the pitch.
JUST OVER! Chopra is picked out at the back post and he does extremely well to get anything on it sandwiched between two defenders. His header into the turf loops up over Rudd, who can only look on as the ball lands on the roof of the net.
End-to-end stuff at Deepdale! Tranmere go up the other end and Hume is picked out with a cutback but has his shot well blocked by MacKenzie.
BLACKPOOL SUB: Martinez makes his way for Bobby Grant.
We're into the final quarter of an hour now and as it stands we're headed to extra time and maybe penalties. Can either side find a winner?
PRESTON SUB: "Huuume!" chant the home fans as their striker is replaced by Chris Humphrey. Hume was so close to giving Preston the lead with that instinctive volley just tipped wide by Gilks.
IMAGE! Here's Ince and Keane battling for the ball at Deepdale:
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
Ince's trickery earns Blackpool a corner. Grant goes over to take it and once again the towering MacKenzie is the target. He meets the ball powerfully but can't keep his header under the bar.
Holmes fires low as Gilks is tested once more. It's a daisy-cutter that stays low and although Gilks can't hold, he collects at the second attempt.
GOAL! Preston 1-0 Blackpool (Clarke)
Delight for Preston as Holmes clips over a free kick that's perfect for Clarke coming in at the back post. He's not offside and directs a header past Gilks from point-blank range.
The atmosphere inside Deepdale is rocking now. It had died down a little during the second half but the home fans are in full voice now as they edge towards victory over their local rivals.
PRESTON SUB: Bolton legend Kevin Davies, who joined the Lilywhites this summer, comes on for Preston in place of Hayhurst.
THREE minutes have been added on at the end. Can Blackpool find a leveller to force extra time?
Tonight's attendance is an impressive 17,470.
Robinson has a chance at the back post but he takes a wild swing and completely misses before Grant volleys over. One minute left.
FULL-TIME: Preston 1-0 Blackpool
League One Preston knock out local rivals Blackpool from the league above. There's a number of fans charging onto the pitch as if it's the end of the season!
Goodness me, it's getting a bit out of hand at Deepdale. The Preston fans are being chased away from the Blackpool end by police horses. One of them has just trampled over a steward! Dear me.
If you've only just joined us and want a report on the match, read our report here.
That's it from us here at Sports Mole. Stick around for reaction from both camps on site shortly. Tomorrow night we'll have live coverage of the match between Morecambe and Wolves from 7pm. See you then.