Kevin Blackwell may have been blowing kisses to the North End fans at the end but it was North End's manager Alan Irvine who will have been all smiles after barnstorming roses clash at Deepdale. Blackwell was making his first return to Deepdale since a controversial Play-Off victory with Leeds United two seasons ago but his side were simply swept away by a North End side who were not to be denied the three points that they craved to secure Championship safety.

A man-of-the-match performance from Neil Mellor was the inspiration, the former Liverpool man grabbed two second-half goals and also earned the first-half penalty which Callum Davidson smashed home from the spot.

Davidson's 28th minute penalty was one of the rare bright moments of a first-half that was not just a battle between two teams but also a battle against the elements as the wind and rain lashed down on the players at Deepdale.

A one goal advantage was always going to be a slander margin against a team with Play-Off aspirations but Neil Mellor settled any nerves in a more open second-half when he side-footed home in the 64th minute of the match.

James Beattie made for a nailbiting finish to the game when he smashed home a 87th minute penalty but injury time brought more action and goals, Blades skipper Chris Morgan was shown a second yellow card three minutes into injury time when he dragged Neil Mellor down. Mellor dusted himself down and moments later he put the seal on the win when he outpaced the Sheffield United defence before drilling the ball beyond Paddy Kenny.

The only negatives for Alan Irvine's men was injuries to both Callum Davidson and Simon Whaley. Davidson never returned to the fray after picking up a thigh injury late in the first half and Simon Whaley hobbled off the field after a crunching challenge with Sheffield United's Stephen Quinn.

But with North End now just one point away from that magical 54 points target Alan Irvine can perhaps breath a little easier when he thinks about his side's Championship survival.

Four minutes in and Preston had a great opportunity. Darren Carter whipped a corner from the right, it was an inswinger and though Kenny came to claim the ball he got nowhere near it and Chris Brown somehow headed the ball over the bar from two yards out.

It was a bright start from both teams though the blustery conditions were making life difficult for PNE's defender's Sean St. Ledger almost sliced the ball over the top of his own keeper and the young defender could only look on in horror as it looked like an embarrassing own goal was going to go against his name. Fortunately the ball just cleared the woodwork.

The Blades could have had the lead in the 14th minute. Michael Tongue bundled his way through the crowded midfield and drew the North End defenders towards him like moths to a light bulb, that left David Carney in acres of space on the left of the box, the Blades winger chipped the ball across goal but it came all the way out to Cotterill on the right side of the box, the Welsh international failed to get a shot away as the referee had spotted a handball.

Preston went ahead in the 28th minute of the match. It looked a harmless ball over the top of the Sheffield United defence by Simon Whaley but somehow Neil Mellor managed to get himself between the ball and the defender. The striker was inside the box and Matt Kilgallon took evasive action, that action was to drag Mellor down, the linesman's flag on the Pavilion stand side signalled for the spot-kick. Callum Davidson it was who was brave enough to take the penalty-kick for the Lilywhites in front of the Sheffield United fans in the Shankly Kop. No messing from the Scottish full-back, he gave it hell for leather, smashing the ball into the back of Paddy Kenny's net.

The Lilywhites opened the second half positively enough and Simon Whaley had a couple of decent chances from the left flank. The first a free-kick that he smashed towards goal but the ball was well blocked by an onrushing Blades defender. Moments later Whaley was clear down the left after pick-pocketing David Cotterill, he had plenty of PNE shirts to aim for in the box but his left-footed effort was found wanting.

Gary Speed had been largely anonymous for the opening hour of the game but in the 59th minute he gave a bit of a reminder of his experience and class when he hit a rasping free-kick towards goal, Andy Lonergan had to be at his best to palm the ball away.

At the other end of the pitch hit a fantastic cross from the right-flank, the perfect ball into that corridor of uncertainty between defender and keeper, the ball was aching to be poked home but Chris Brown was just an inch short of getting his toe to the ball.

The Blades had the ball in the back of the net in the 60th minute. Gary Speed nodded the ball into the path of second half substitute Stephen Quinn, the diminutive midfielder knocked the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out but the linesman's flag was waving high in the air.

The Lilywhites went two up on 64 minutes. It came after Chris Sedgwick had battled and scrapped for the ball down the left flank and the ball popped out of a huddle of players into the path of Mellor, the former Liverpool man needed no second invitation to get at goal, he took a few touches which took him into the box and then slotted the ball beyond Paddy Kenny into the back of the net.

North End could have a third on 68 minutes. Neil Mellor had cut in from the right on a slalom-like run and he was hacked down by Chris Morgan but the ball fell kindly for Darren Carter and the referee waved play on as the PNE midfielder smashed the ball at goal, Kenny doing well to save. Morgan was retrospectively shown a yellow card a few minutes later for his challenge on the PNE man.

With five minutes left on the clock the Blades were awarded a penalty when they sent a long ball deep into the PNE box, and Billy Jones was adjudged to have manhandled Chris Morgan. James Beattie on as a sub stepped up to smash the ball into the roof of the net.

It made for a grandstand finish at Deepdale with the Blades needing the win to keep their feint Play-Off hopes alive.

The Blades were destined to have at least one more chance and that came just moments before the fourth official's board was raised to reveal a massive six minutes of injury time. United's Rob Hulse had an effort that he collected with his back to goal before volleying the ball over the bar.

But as Kevin Blackwell's men threw everything but the kitchen sink at Irvine's brave souls they were always susceptible to being hit on the break and that's exactly what happened when Mellor looked to be clear through only to be dragged to the ground yet again and this time Blades skipper Chris Morgan saw red after collecting his second yellow card of the game.

Once again PNE were under an aerial bombardment but they dealt with it admirably and as Chris Brown and Neil Mellor stretched the Sheffield United defence with runs into the corners it looked like the Lilywhites had done enough to win the game.

But there was one final act yet to be played on a thrilling afternoon for Preston North End and thankfully it was positive news for the Lilywhites. Mellor collected the ball near the half-way line once again and this time rather than heading to the corner flag he turned inside former PNE loanee John Halls and set off towards goal. Mellor somehow found a burst of pace in the 96th minute of action, sprinted past Halls and when he took the ball into the box he smashed the ball home to complete a memorable 3-1 victory.