Preston fought hard to frustrate Watford for a second time this season as Alan Irvine experienced a draw for the first time in his managerial reign at the Club.
It may have finished goal-less, but the game was full of incident, with both sides striking the frame of the goal and both keepers forced to react at vital moments as either side thought they had the chance to nick it.
Watford were undoubtedly the more territorially dominant team, but PNE can take credit for digging in and denying a side that will be there or thereabouts in the end of season promotion chase.
Preston made just one change with Richard Chaplow returning in place of the suspended Darren Carter, and took a few moments to settle with the hosts piling on the early territorial pressure.
It was Chaplow, however, that fashioned the away side's first opening, with a dart from half way leading to a decisive through ball for Chris Brown, who in turn fed Simon Whaley, only for his shot to strike Mat Sadler and deflect to safety.
Chaplow again led the charge just moments later as he spread play to Whaley on the right, but Watford scrambled it clear as the wide man tried to thread a return pass to Chaplow along the six yard line.
The clearance downhill sent Nathan Ellington away down the Vicarage Road slope, and he played it perfectly into the angled path of Darius Henderson. The PNE summer target shimmied to leave Andy Lonergan sprawling, but he could only find the side netting with the goal at his mercy but the angle ever tightening.
Paul McKenna was a scorer for Preston on his last visit to Hertforshire in August 2005, and he was only millimetres away from repeating the feat in February 2008. Running onto Chris Sedgwick's square ball at pace, his rifled right foot shot squirmed back off the top of the right hand post, and rebounded to safety with Richard Lee in the Hornets goal well beaten.
Just as the last Preston chance yielded an immediate counter, this time the breakdown of a North End chance provided an opportunity for Ellington, but he blazed over the top after chasing a downfield punt.
Jobi McAnuff went even closer after he thumped a shot through Billy Jones' legs, requiring a great reaction save from Lonergan at his near post, but there was an easier save in store when Henderson's header proved fairly tame from the next genuine attack.
Lonners was alert again to tip Tommy Smith's dipping cross over the bar as it appeared to be landing just below the position of the metalwork, and Henderson was later causing trouble for Chilvers, who was lucky to get away with a pull on his man that produced only a free kick rather than a booking too, with the wall keeping out successive efforts from Ellington and Sadler.
There was a baffling shout for handball when Lonergan smothered a Smith header from Sadler's right wing corner, with home players and fans alike believing an outfield player had handled, rather than the man wearing a green shirt and white gloves.
PNE were under the kosh for much of the half, and their desperation in defence was perhaps typified when Callum Davidson picked up his tenth booking of the season - and a two-match suspension - for a lunge on Adrian Mariappa as he looked to fight for a second ball after initially making a fine sliding challenge on Smith.
The Lilywhites could count themselves fortunate to have been level at the break, and though they were an improved side in the early stages of the second half, it was still the flair players of the home side that looked more likely to create an opening; Henderson the most potent threat.
Hawley's dipping but paceless shot was Preston's first goalbound effort of the half, on the hour mark, but Dan Shittu was even closer with a header that struck the inside of the post before being scrambled off the line by Lonergan.
Shittu was again a threat when he flicked Smith's cross right through the danger area, but no-one was able to get the touch that would have turned it into the North End net from just a matter of yards.
John-Joe O'Toole blazed over as the pressure continued, but Preston seemed to step up a gear at the mid-point of the half, with the Lilywhite travelling army doing likewise with some fine vocal support.
A succession of corners tested the Hornets without being overly troublesome, but the side looked particularly threatening after Neil Mellor had replaced Hawley for the final 20 minutes. Billy Jones came closest to converting from the series of set pieces as he headed wide - just moments after a foul on Smith in the opposite box that went unpunished despite looking more akin to the kind of challenge that Vicarage Road tenants Saracens would be inclined to make.
Some great wide play from McKenna and Whaley saw the ball flashing from one side of the box, before Chaplow's low shot on the turn deflected a fraction wide of target off O'Toole's shins.
A re-shuffle in the final ten minutes saw Chaplow go wide right in place of Whaley, as St Ledger took a central midfield role from the bench, which suited the nippy midfielder's driving style.
The hosts thought they'd nicked the lead on 88, but Shittu's rebound after Ellington's strike hit the post was ruled out for offside earlier in the move.
Substitute Jay DeMerit headed just wide from McAnuff's free kick as the game edged into the first of four added minutes with Watford desperate for a goal to keep their title hopes alive, but Lonergan also produced a great block from Shittu's header in the dying seconds to secure a valuable point.
PNE: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, Chilvers, Davidson, Whaley (sub St Ledger 84), McKenna (capt), Chaplow (sub Hill 88), Sedgwick, Hawley (sub Mellor 72), Brown. Subs not used: Chris Neal, Nicholls.
Watford: Lee (capt), Mariappa (sub DeMerit 82), Shittu, Bromby, Sadler, Smith (sub Ainsworth 85), O'Toole, Eustace, McAnuff, Henderson, Ellington. Subs not used: Stewart, Williamson, Kabba.
Booking: Davidson (44)
Referee: Mr A Bates
Attendance: 16,798
