An improved performance from the Lilywhites but they were still searching for their first away win of the season on a chilly December's day at Molineux.
The North End manager will have been happy with majority of the performance and play, but the 1-0 scoreline was typical of PNE's luck this season, a Karl Henry goal ten minutes into the second half proving to the be the crucial difference between the two sides.
It had all looked so promising for the Lilywhites, Alan Irvine had made three changes to the side which was defeated at Palace and but for a whirlwind opening 15 minutes of the game in which PNE had a goal disallowed and Andy Lonergan had pulled off a brilliant stop from Eastwood, PNE looked a lot more solid a unit.
But when your luck is down it's down and whilst Preston had peppered Wolves' goal with long range efforts it took just one from Wolves to find the back of the net.
Three minutes in and Wolves had a first real opportunity. Stephen Ward whipped the ball in from the left and the ball evaded Youl Mawene and Chilvers half cleared straight into the path of Freddy Eastwood, his shot was blocked by Youl Mawene.
But it came straight back at PNE and Eastwood really should have done better with his second opportunity. Indecision in the North End defence and Eastwood has the goal at his mercy but he scuffed his shot and though it beat Lonergan it bounced off the outside of the post, the danger was only half cleared before Stephen Elliott put the ball into the side-netting.
Preston managed to get the ball in the back of the net in the fourth minute in what was a breathtaking opening to the game. Callum Davidson whipped an in-swinging free-kick from the right and Liam Chilvers managed to bundle the ball home off of his hip, but the linesman was flagging and whilst the PNE players were trying to work out why they weren't 1-0 up Wolves took their free-kick early and almost scored on an amazing counter-attack.
Elliott and Eastwood had a two-on-one for the entire final two-thirds of the pitch and it was up to poor Matt Hill to try and work out how to stop them. Elliott fed the ball inside to Eastwood and he had the goal at his mercy but this time Lonergan pulled off a class save to deny the former Southend man.
Nine minutes in and Simon Whaley was able to test Wayne Hennessey's reactions. He cut inside onto his right boot and hit a dipping effort that the Wolves keeper managed to scramble behind for a corner. From the corner-kick the ball was scrambled across the face of goal and it fell to Callum Davidson who blasted one just over the bar with his right-boot.
Preston should have been in front on 16 minutes. Chris Sedgwick found himself on the end of a wonderful Patrick Agyemang ball on the right and he delivered an inviting ball across the six-yard box. Callum Davidson accepted the invitation and with the goal at his mercy from five yards out the ball sliced off his left-boot when it looked like Hennessey had given up the chance as a goal.
After a barnstorming opening 20 minutes the game calmed down a little as the sides turned the game into a bit of a midfield battle. But just before the stroke of the half hour mark Paul McKenna had a couple of decent opportunities, they both came to him on the volley from left-wing crosses, the first McKenna hit full on the volley and it was well blocked by Collins the second came after Ormerod had found space down the left channel and he scrambled a ball across the six-yard box that McKenna just got a toe to but he could get no real power on the ball and it was cleared.
Indecision from the Wolves defenders helped Whaley to a sight at goal on 38 minutes. The two centre-halves both left the ball to each other and Whaley picked up the ball, cut inside onto his right-boot before drilling a ball towards goal, Hennessy didn't seem too comfortable dealing with it but his parried shot fell to a Wolves defender.
Sean St. Ledger was the first name in the referee's book on 40 minutes when he was forced into a lunging challenge on Wolves' Stephen Ward.
PNE had looked strong for the opening exchanges of the second half but their defences were finally breached in the 55th minute when Karl Henry was given the freedom of Molineux to drift towards goal with the ball, the crowd shouted 'shoot' and he definitely did, hit a right-footed effort low past Andy Lonergan's despairing dive.
Wolves made an immediate change when Darron Gibson was replaced by Matt Jarvis in a straight swap on the right-flank.
Preston made their first change of the game on 65 minutes when Neil Mellor came on to replace Brett Ormerod who had worked his socks off in a tireless display.
Simon Whaley was determined to beat the keeper from long-range at some point during the game. He got an opportunity in the 68th minute when Davidson won a free-kick about 30 yards out. Whaley it was who teed up the chance and he let fly but this time Hennessy was equal to the effort and saved well.
Mellor tested Hennessy from an unlikely angle on 74 minutes when he got through onto a super ball over the top from Sedgwick. The angle was very tight on the left of the penalty box but he still forced Hennessey into a save which the keeper parried into the air and across the face of goal. Agyemang was lurking at the back post but he couldn't get anywhere near the ball to turn it home.
On 75 minutes Wolves made a second substitution when Andy Keogh was sent on for Stephen Elliott.
With time running out Preston boss Alan Irvine made a double substitution, Paul Gallagher and Andy Carroll sent on to replace Chris Sedgwick and Patrick Agyemang.
The North End tactical change looked to have inspired the Lilywhites, Sean St. Ledger and Callum Davidson both had decent chances, the latter cracking a shot just over the bar from 25-yards out when invited to shoot by the Wolves defence.
A real chance for PNE on 84 minutes when Davidson whipped a corner in from the left, Mawene flicked it on to the back post and Carroll arrived very late to the back post to toe-poke the ball towards goal, but the angle was just too tight and the ball found the side-netting.
Preston threw everything they could at Wolves in the dying stages and in the second minute of added on time they almost got an equaliser, Andy Carroll picking up the ball about 35-yards out, taking a couple of steps forward and hit a low effort that almost caught Hennessey out at his near post, but unfortunately for the Lilywhites it went the wrong side of the post and that proved to be the final chance of the game.
Attendance: 22,836.
