Alan Irvine's side had done so well to get themselves back in the game, reduced to 10-men on 67 minutes when Sean St. Ledger was deemed to have dragged down Karl Duguid in the PNE penalty box, former Blackpool man Scot Vernon made it double-trouble when he smashed home from the spot. But an inspired substitution sent on Neil Mellor and he looked to have rescued a point for North End, his low shot fortuitously bouncing off the keeper and onto the striker before finding the empty net.
But the drama wasn't over and Jackson smashed home to break North End hearts and keep them close to the relegation zone.
Six minutes into the game and Preston had their first strike at goal when Karl Hawley received the ball with his back to goal, was afforded the time and space to turn before hitting a shot from about 25-yards out.
It was a positive start from Alan Irvine's side and one minute later Darren Carter whipped a free-kick right into the heart of the Colchester dangerzone and Billy Jones will feel that he should have done a lot better when he stooped to get his head to the ball.
Five minutes before the break and Preston almost found the target when Sedgwick clipped a ball in to Chris Brown on the edge of the box and in one movement the big striker turned and volleyed an effort towards goal. It looked to have Colchester keeper Dean Gerken flatfooted but it flashed just wide of the post, much to Brown's dismay.
The second stanza started with a positive run from the kick-off when Darren Carter picked the ball up in his own half and made straight for the Colchester goal, there was no challenge till he got within shooting distance. He let fly with a strike from about 25-yards out that was well blocked by Virgo.
Five minutes into the second period and the Yellows had their first real shot on target when Brown turned onto a Sedgwick cross from the right and hit a low drive towards goal.
Sixty-two minutes into the match and Teddy Sheringham ambled off to be replaced by former Blackpool man Scot Vernon.
Five minutes later and another player was leaving the field but it entirely different circumstances when Sean St. Ledger was shown a straight red card for taking Karl Duguid out of action just as he had got clean through on goal. The referee decided that it was a clear run on goal for the Colchester midfield man and was given no other option but to send him to the stands.
It was double-disaster for Alan Irvine's side when after consultation with the linesman the referee also deemed St. Ledger's foul to have been inside the area and pointed to the spot. Vernon needed no second invitation to get the chance to score against Preston and he stepped up confidently to the plate to smash the ball beyond Lonergan who guessed correctly to dive to his right.
It could have been a 2-0 deficit moments later when Kevin McLeod knocked a ball deep to the far post and somehow Vernon arrived with the ball at his feet, goal-side, only six yards out, Lonergan was forced into a brave save, lowdown to his near post.
Mawene was sent on as a substitute to add to the defensive cover at the expense of Chris Sedgwick and then with just over 10 minutes to go before the end North End made a double-substitution which saw Chaplow and Mellor come on to replace Whaley and Hawley.
Mellor's introduction certainly added some extra urgency to North End's play and Colchester couldn't seem to cope with his movement. Within seconds of coming on he'd chased down a Billy Jones ball down the channel and hit one through Virgo's legs but Gerken did well to save lowdown.
Seconds later and Preston had the ball in the back of the net after Richard Chaplow burst into the box onto the end of a Chris Brown flick-on, the ex-West Brom man dinked the ball over Gerken and into the net but the referee had already signalled for a free-kick to Colchester, adjudging that Brown had tugged the shirt of the Colchester man.
With nine minutes to go Alan Irvine's side were back in the match, Neil Mellor ran down the right channel again and he was five yards nearer the goal than his last attempt. Gerken saved Mellor's shot but the ball ricocheted off the Preston striker and bounced into the back of the net, much to the delight of the hoards of PNE support behind the goal.
North End quickly changed their formation from a 4-3-2 to a 4-4-1 with Chris Brown operating on the right but it was from Colchester's left that the next chance of the game came when a cross was whipped in and Platt powered a header down to the bottom corner, Lonergan pulled off a great scrambling save to deny the big striker.
Two minutes before the end of the game and North End's hopes of a point were dashed. Platt knocked down a hopeful ball to the edge of the box and Colchester midfielder Johnnie Jackson smashed a shot a shot at goal, more in hope than expectation, it flew through a crowd of players and beat Lonergan to somehow nestle in the bottom of the back of the net.
