Neal makes his first start of the season under Paul Simpson making up a midfield of McKenna, Davidson and Sedgwick. New signing Michael Ricketts has to settle for a place on the bench alongside Jason Jarrett, Simon Whaley, Danny Dichio and Andy Lonergan.

The first real chance of the game came in the eight minute when Lewis Neal almost toe-poked home a cross from Chris Sedgwick. It took a great reflex save from Nick Colgan on the line to deny North End the lead.

David Nugent crafted an opening for Lewis Neal again in the 14th minute when his perseverance and chasing won him the ball down the right channel, he squared a ball to Neal who was arriving late and his shot from the penalty spot had to be blocked.

Daniel Nardiello got a clear sight of goal in the 15th minute. A hopeful punt downfield was misjudged by Alexander and it was Nardiello who capitalised with just Liam Chilvers to beat. Nardiello twisted and turned but his shot was well wide.

Neal again had a chance to open the scoring in the 20th minute. McKenna played a nice little ball into the channel for Ormerod, the striker got to the byline and whipped in a low cross that Neal arrived late to his show was straight at keeper Colgan.

Everything was coming down the right, Sedgwick got time and space to deliver a cross to the near post in the 22nd minute, McKenna got to the ball first but his header was steered well wide.

Barnsley almost took the lead in the 23rd minute. It was against the run of play but Hayes' shot crashed against the crossbar after Chilvers' backheader failed to reach Nash and the Barnsley man pounced to volley over Nash but the ball bounced onto the bar and over.

In the 25th minute Bobby Hassell was booked for dragging Lewis Neal's arm as he tried flying down the left touchline.

With everything coming down his side of the pitch Adam Eckersley decided the best form of defence was attack and he took the game to North End in the 28th minute and delivered a great cross to the near post , Dwayne Mattis was there with a header but it went high and wide.

Matt Hill was booked in the 35th minute for a late tackle on Barnsley's Paul Hayes.

Trouble for North End in the 44th minute when Daniel Nardiello went through on Matt Hill. The North End full-back looked to be in agony and needed urgent treatment from physio Steve Kemp, Nardiello got a yellow card for his sins.

North End started brightly in the second half and just two minutes in Brett Ormerod struck a shot from the edge of the box but it was straight down goalkeeper Colgan's throat.

PNE won a free-kick in th 53rd minute after Nugent was sent tumbling by a Mattis challenge. McKenna stepped up to smash the free-kick towards goal but it was a couple of yards too high and wide.

Lewis Neal's incisive run in the 54th minute caused all sorts of confusion, he got to the edge of the box and squared the ball to Nugent who twisted, turned and squirmed, he failed to get a shot away but laid it back Davidson who teed up an effort from 35-yards. Callum's shot was intercepted by Ormerod and whilst he looked offside he still managed to get a shot away and brought a good save from Colgan.

There was nothing Colgan could do to stop Preston taking the lead in the 56th minute. It came from a McKenna corner on the left and Liam Chilvers arrived late at the back post to power a header over the line. It was nothing more than PNE deserved for their endeavours.

In the 64th minute Paul Hayes was replaced by Michael Coulson, the first change of the afternoon.

Brian Howard was booked in the 71st minute for kicking the ball away and in the same minute Brett Ormerod was replaced by debutant Michael Ricketts. Sam Togwell was replaced by Grant McCann.

Ricketts was in the thick of the action straight away and he won a free-kick with his first touch when Togwell dragged him down. McKenna took the free-kick short to the edge of the box where Lewis Neal was unmarked and his shot went straight across the face of goal.

Barnsley had a great opportunity to equalise in the 75th minute when Eckersley's cross-cum-shot went straight across the face of goal and ended up at the feet of Coulson, unmarked, but he took too much time to get his shot away and his eventual effort was well blocked by Davidson.

Davidson was up the other end of the field creating havoc in the 82nd minute. He burst onto the ball on the edge of the box and he was clear in the area, he looked up and there was nobody there to pass to, Ricketts was the first to react and though the ball found the big striker the shot was intercepted.

Nugent was replaced by Simon Whaley in the 84th minute.

Barnsley were launching long balls into the box in search of the equaliser in the closing stages of the game and one of those balls nearly paid off when Mattis flicked a header into the path of Nardiello who with his back to goal from eight yards out span and hit a shot that just clipped the outside of the post for the Yorkshire side.

Carlo Nash was almost on the score sheet in the final minute of normal time. He launched a ball downfield and the wind took it clear of all the outfield players, took one bounce and had to be tipped over the crossbar by the Barnsley keeper.

A frantic finish to the game saw plenty more predictable long balls played deep into North End territory but the PNE defence held firm and after four minutes of stoppage time the referee blew his whistle and North End celebrated.