A first half goal from David Nugent was enough to send Preston top of the table for for the first time in 55 years after Cardiff were soundly beaten at Stoke.

It looked as though North End would open up a gap at the top with Birmingham in action tomorrow but Dele Adebola, who scored the only goal in the 1-0 win at QPR on Saturday was on target again to earn Coventry a share of the spoils.

Tommy Miller made his debut for the Lilywhites as he was given the nod to replace Matt Hill who missed out through injury. .

It was hard to choose a definite formation with it looking like a 4-3-3 when Preston were attacking and 4-4-2 when Coventry had the ball, but Miller was named alongside Chris Sedgwick, Paul McKenna and Simon Whaley with Nugent and Agyemang in attack.

Coventry fresh from two consecutive victories against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR, included former Ipswich man Darren Currie in the midfield, after he signed on loan on deadline day. Elliott Ward is the second member of the Ward family to play at Deepdale, brother Darren was here on Saturday with Palace.

After a cagey opening Preston were forced into an early change for the second game in succession, with Sean St Ledger replaced by Kelvin Wilson with just 16 minutes on the clock.

The centre half had been a doubt ahead of the game after suffering a dead leg on Saturday but was forced off suffering double visio after an early blow to the head.

A superb first touch from Agyemang almost played in Nugent on 22 minutes, after the Ghanaian international took down a high ball out of defence by Danny Pugh, he flicked it over the top for Nugent to race clear but his touch took the ball away from him and Ward cleared the danger.

At the other end Dele Adebola was cautioned for a foul on Chilvers in the area, becoming the first player in the referee's notebook. (26)

Two minutes later Richard Duffy was forced to head the ball behind after a dangerous right wing cross from David Nugent. The man on loan from Portsmouth was taking no risks in front of his own goal but unfortunately North End could do nothing from the resulting corner.

North End were huffing and puffing in the final third, putting crosses in as and when they could but to little avail with Page and Ward holding the height advatange, that was until the 35th minute when David Nugent opened the scoring.

The England U21 international rose higher than anyone on the pitch to head beyond the outstretched fingertips of Andy Marshall into the top left hand corner.

It was a pin point cross from Pugh but there was plenty of work still to do for Nugent, scoring his first goal since the end of October, when he scored the third goal in the 4-1 win over Leeds.

Colin Cameron went close to getting City back on level terms on 43 minutes, his effort deflecting off Sedgwick and onto the post, with Nash beaten at his left hand post.

Two minutes later and it could have been 2-0 as Simon Whaley, who had switched flanks to the left cut infield before hit a low effort that was heading in at Marshall's near post, before the former Norwich keeper got down low to tip the ball behind for a corner.

Agyemang was terrorising Robert Page in the Coventry defence and he got the better of him again on the stroke of half time racing a good 25 yards through on goal before scuffing his shot just wide of the left hand post.

Coventry could have been back on level terms in first half injury time, a cross from Clark headed just over by Leon McKenzie, who rose above the North End defence but it proved fruitless in the end.

Nugent almost added a second on 54 minutes after Simon Whaley's perseverance in the area saw him dispossess Michael Doyle, before squaring the ball for Nugent in the middle. The striker had more time than he thought as he hit a first time effort across the face of goal and wide.

With the news of three goals in five minutes at Stoke, who were taking on Cardiff rings of 'we are top of the league' echoed around Deepdale and only a superb save from Andy Marshall prevented Patrick Agyemang netting another contender for goal of the season.

The PNE number nine hit an excellent volley from the edge of the box that was heading for the roof of the net. Marshall did well to get a fingertip on the ball send it over, only the referee didn't spot the save and he gave a goal kick.

Coventry made a double substitution on 68 minutes, Jay Tabb and Stern John replacing McKenzie and Cameron.

A tackle on Stern John in the area three minutes later had the City fans on their feet, but the referee, who had a perfect view of the incident waved play on much to John's disappointment.

Lewis Neal was introduced to the action on 74 minutes, coming on for Tommy Miller, as North End moved to a more conventional 4-4-2 with Neal on the left, Whaley on the right and McKenna and Sedgwick in the middle just as was played for most of the game on Saturday.

Elliott Ward was the second man cautioned on 76 minutes, booked for handling the ball but Preton were unable to create anything from the resulting free kick, curling the effort too close to Marshall who punched clear.

Two minutes later and Micky Adams threw caution to the wind, bringing on former Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle to replace defender Richard Duffy.

The equaliser came just moments later Dele Adebola with his second goal in as many games. (80)

The former Crewe man picked the ball up before cutting inside and with all the time in the world he hit a left foot shot beyond Carlo Nash in the Preston goal.

Paul Simpson responded by introducing Danny Dichio to the action in place of Patrick Agyemang.

There were yet more calls for a penalty on 84 minutes, Dichio bought down in the area as he was racing in to get on the end of a free kick, taken by Alexander. It looked blatant from where we were and the North End players, not for the first time this week, were left furious that the protests were waved away.

With just seconds remaining Lewis Neal was appealing after he felt he was pulled back inside the area but once again nothing was given.

In the end Preston had to settle for a point but it was enough to put us top for the first time in 55 years.

PNE: Nash; Alexander, Pugh, Sedgwick, Agyemang (Dichio 81), Nugent, St. Ledger (Wilson 16), Chilvers, Whaley, McKenna, Miller (Neal 74).

Subs: Dichio, Ormerod, Neal, Neal.

Coventry: Marshall; Page, Cameron (Tabb 68), Duffy (Kyle 78), Doyle, Adebola, McKenzie (John 68), Currie, Ward, Hall, Clark. Subs: Birchall, John, Tabb, Bischoff.

Attendance: 13,104