Preston's penalty jinx struck again as the Lilywhites were harshly denied anything from an Oakwell encounter they'd dominated for most of the 90 minutes.

Neil Mellor, the only man to have netted from 12 yards for the Club so far this season, was denied from the spot in the final minute of stoppage time as Barnsley keeper Heinz Muller produced an astonishing save that was worthy of a huge win bonus.

Though the timing would have been cruel on Barnsley, it would have been no less than North End deserved, but they were made to pay for giving Istvan Ferenczi the room he needed to head home the game's only goal on 42 minutes.

A confident North End start yielded a number of early set pieces, with Liam Chilvers - restored to the side after missing the home games against QPR and Plymouth with injury - getting in amongst the crowd of bodies as the first corner of the game briefly caused concern for the home defence.

North End's other new boy, John Halls, had to be on his guard alongside Paul McKenna to help snuff out a quick counter attack with Martin Devaney leading the charge, but there was a moment of concern when he appeared to be limping after coming off best in a strong challenge.

The first genuine opening of the game fell to the home side, breaking quickly after the Tykes had seen off the threat of a Karl Hawley surge. Devaney's through ball was flicked into a dangerous position by debutant and former North Ender Jon Macken, and Andy Lonergan had to be at his very best to deny Istvan Ferenczi's low drive with his left leg.

A further heartstopping moment nearly saw Preston fall behind after 15 minutes, with Liam Chilvers unable to clear under pressure from Ferenczi, and Macken's point blank strike was thankfully cleared off the line by new boy Halls before Matt Hill snuck in to help clear the ball from danger.

The visitors' first genuine chance was carved from the creative boot of the talismanic Paul McKenna. Running at the defence from a wide left position, he calmly teed the ball up the advancing Hawley, who took his time before thumping a 20-yard shot that Heinz Muller did well to tip over.

Hawley turned provider as North End advanced again after a brief lull in the tempo of the game. A floated ball from the left hung invitingly for Chris Sedgwick to meet with his head, but pressure from his marker caused him to make contact while the ball was still a little too high to control and he ended up looping the ball onto the top of the netting.

Though PNE threatened with a succession of corners, they couldn't quite turn the positional threat into something more tangeable. A half-chance fell to McKenna from a corner that was worked short rather than swung straight in, but with the space closing up in front of him he wasn't able to unleash a more powerful shot than the curling effort that Muller gathered at the second attempt.

Unfortunately Brett Ormerod couldn't find a shot to match the quality of a move that looked worthy of producing more as the visitors continued to hassle with five minutes of the half remaining. McKenna was the architect of a fine passing move that also brought in Carter, Nicholls and Halls, but when Hawley's final ball found the former Southampton man on the edge of the box, he squirmed a shot wide of the six yard box.

Completely against the run of play - and against the perceived control of the game - the Tykes took the lead with three minutes of the first period to play. Skipper Kev Nicholls brought down his opposite number Brian Howard in a position to the right of the North End box, and Howard picked himself up to deliver a sweet left footed ball that Ferenczi nodded home at the near post.

To go into the breaK a goal behind was rough justice on North End, but Carter's early efforts in the second half came close to rectifying that situation. A mazy run from an inside left channel brought him into a position where both the cross and the shot came into play, and a slightly hedged bet effort at striking the ball across the keeper nearly paid dividends as the ball rebounded back off the stopper's legs but unfortunately didn't divert towards goal at any speed as he recovered in time to smother the loose ball.

Liam Chilvers nearly became an unlikely goalscorer with a 25-yard thumper that narrowly missed Muller's far post as PNE looked to grow ever more assertive in an effort to get back on an even keel.

A promising move involving Stephen Foster and Jemal Campbell-Rice nearly fashioned a second Barnsley goal, but Sam Togwell only succeeded in striking wide of target when Macken held up the loose ball and dropped it nicely into his path, and moments later there was something of a let off for the Preston defence as the unmarked Howard thankfully turned a free header wide of target.

The large travelling contingent believed the equaliser had arrived with 18 minutes of the second half played, only for an astonishing save from Muller to keep his side ahead. With the box still crowded from a partially cleared corner, Sedgwick's return from the left hand side of the box was well flighted with pace, only for Carter to see his glancing header tipped round the post when it looked dead set for the top right hand corner.

The game became increasingly stretched as Preston committed bodies forward in search of an equaliser that always looked like coming, but it nearly cost them a second as Martin Devaney broke at pace. After getting round the back of Halls, he delivered a ball that fell invitingly at the feet of Campbell-Rice, but he failed to find the target. Campbell-Rice then became creator with a far more impressive cross that Togwell wasted with a poor header.

That was the signal for North End to throw in Pat Agyemang and Neil Mellor in place of the starting frontline of Hawley and Ormerod, and within moments Mellor nearly got on the end of a low Nicholls cross that appeared to deflect up onto the hand of Togwell, but the referee waved away the protests from more than 1,000 Preston followers behind the goal.

With dice left to throw, Paul Simpson showed his intent by replacing his skipper, Nicholls, with the unpredictable attacking ability of Simon Whaley with 12 minutes remaining.

The tension was hard to bear as the seconds ticked away - each one proclaimed to the audience courtesy of a countdown clock above the tunnel. Preston pushed and pushed and pushed, but just couldn't find the killer pass that would have been pounced upon by any of the lively subs.

Indeed, such was the determination to get the ball - and men - forward, it left the defence short of number when Howard's quickly taken free-kick sent Ferenczi clear, but the earlier goalscorer was pounced upon by Lonergan as he prepared to strike.

The hosts, without a win in four games, were full of nerves as the game trickled into injury time, and that was none more evident than when Campbell-Rice snatched at a shot from 18 yards that he could have placed past Lonergan with an added degree of composure.

That moment could have cost Barnsley dear - but then it happened again. With the three minutes of added time all but up, the referee handed Preston a penalty for an infringement on St Ledger. Mellor stepped up to take the ultimate in pressure kicks - and Muller tipped it over as the ball looked destined for the top left hand corner. Muller celebrated as if he'd won the FA Cup, but after such a tense finale you could understand why.

Within seconds, the final whistle had gone, and North End's continued fear of penalties and travelling had struck again.

PNE: Lonergan, Halls, Chilvers, Mawene, Hill, Sedgwick, Nicholls (sub Whaley 78), McKenna, Carter, Hawley (sub Agyemang 71), Ormerod (sub Mellor 71). Subs not used: Chris Neal, Davidson.

Barnsley: Muller, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk, Campbell-Rice, Howard, Togwell, Devaney (sub McCann 90), Ferenczi (sub Mostto 88), Macken (sub Odejayi 80). Subs not used: Reid, McCann, Ricketts.

Attendance: 10,223 (1,319 from Preston)

Booked: Carter, Hill; Kozluk