Wonderful Wigan Athletic dump Preston North End out of the FA Cup

The visitors created - and squandered - by far the biggest chance of the opening 45 minutes at Deepdale.

Bettoni sent Dara Costelloe racing clean through on goal, and the Irishman held off the last defender before dragging his shot inches wide of the far post.

With the hosts having offered very little, Latics picked up where they left off in the second period, and were claiming for a penalty when Costelloe was claiming he'd been clipped in the box.

Referee Oliver Langford, however, ruled that he'd dived and brandished a yellow card.

The only goal arrived 15 minutes from time, and again it was Bettoni at the heart of it.

Entering the box through the right channel, Bettoni cut inside and fired goalwards with his left foot, with a deflection taking the ball past Daniel Iversen in the North End goal.

That was Bettoni's final involvement, with cramp seeing him limp off, to be replaced by Maleace Asamoah Jnr for the closing stages.

Latics had a scare when Preston substitute Alfie Devine got in behind down the Preston left, however Sam Tickle was equal to the low shot from his former Academy colleague.

And it was the visitors who should have doubled their lead with eight minutes left, when Asamoah Jnr raced into the box and was taken down in full flow by Pol Valentin.

Callum Wright placed the ball on the spot, but blazed the ball miles over the top, to keep Preston in the game.

Asamoah had another chance to add to the scoring as the 90-minute mark approached, but Iversen was off his line in a hurry to save with Costelloe sniffing around.

And there was more drama to come in the eighth of seven added minutes, when Tickle made an incredible fingertip save to keep Preston out.

The rebound fell to Preston substitute Brad Potts, who toed the ball home from close range, only for Preston's celebrations to be curtailed by an offside flag.