Preston North End dropped to the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship after losing a game they could have easily won. The game was riddled with mistakes from both sides but when Karl Hawley latched onto a poor Lee Bullen backpass to put Alan Irvine's side ahead just before the break, the Yellows looked to be in control of the game. But once again it was a tale of two halves and the Owls were given a lifeline when Andy Lonergan misjudged a routine punt downfield and Akpo Sodje was given the easiest of opportunities to equalise. Referee Keith Hill then awarded the Yorkshire side a controversial penalty only seconds after Andy Carroll has spurned a glorious opportunity to grab a winner, Francis Jeffers slammed home the penalty to complete Preston's misery.
It had all been going so well, Karl Hawley had justified his inclusion with a cool finish to put the Lilywhites ahead and was unfortunate not to have grabbed a second in the second half, a fine Lee Grant save denying him. Hawley was later replaced as PNE went for the win with a double substitution that saw Mellor and Carroll come on to create a brilliant chance to win the game, but the Newcastle man scuttled the ball wide from six yards out after Mellor had set it up for him on a plate. North End may have been aggrieved by the later penalty decision when the ball struck Matt Hill's arm from point blank range, but if truth be told the PNE players have only themselves to blame for coming away from Hillsborough without a point.
North End's first sight of goal came after six minutes when Lewis Neal whipped in a corner from the left and the ball arrived at the feet of Darren Carter who had his back to goal, he tried to manoeuvre a position to get a strike at goal but the ball just wouldn't fall for him.
PNE conceded a free-kick in a very dangerous position in the 14th minute when Liam Chilvers was alleged to have pushed Richard Hinds in the back, right on the edge of the box. Glenn Whelan stepped up to hit it, it deflected off the wall and with Lonergan committed to his dive it was fortunate that the ball went spinning over the bar.
Whaley created a chance from nothing in the 16th minute. He pounced on a Beevers clearing header, controlled the ball and smashed the ball straight back at goal, it took a finger-tip save from Lee Grant to divert the ball over the bar.
Simon Whaley was enjoying a lot of possession down the right and he was involved in another good moment for Preston on 26 minutes when he was played into the box by Whaley and he drilled a low ball across the six-yard box, a combination of goalkeeper and defender managed to scramble the ball clear with Gallagher lurking.
Preston took the lead on 34 minutes when Alan Irvine's decision to recall Karl Hawley was fully justified with a goal. It was bizarre period of play which saw Sean St. Ledger force Andy Lonergan into evasive action after a poor back-pass, Lonergan was unsure whether he could handle the ball and with Glenn Whelan bearing down on him he controlled the ball on his chest to take it past the Wednesday man before slamming it clear. Seconds later it was the Sheffield Wednesday player's turn to produce a moment of madness, Lee Bullen selling his defenders and keeper short and Hawley nipped in between them all, took the ball past Grant and coolly slotted it into the empty net.
Matt Hill picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute for an innocuous looking foul on Glenn Whelan.
Alan Irvine's side might have taken a two goal lead in the 45th minute when Lewis Neal sent a looping corner into the box from the left, it landed at the feet of both Liam Chilvers and Sean St. Ledger, both seemed to leave the ball for each other and the bodies were flying all over the place as they looked to force the ball over the line, but Grant popped up with the ball in his hands.
Wednesday made a couple of changes at the start of the second period with Francis Jeffers and Etienne Esajas coming on for Jermaine Johnson and Deon Burton.
The Owls were back in the game on 50 minutes and it came in cruel fashion for North End keeper Andy Lonergan. A long and hopeful punt downfield by Wednesday was chased down by Akpo Sodje and that brought Lonergan rushing out to intercept the ball, unfortunately he misjudged the bounce of the ball and it went right over his head, leaving Sodje with an open goal aim at, the former Port Vale man wasted no time in finding the back of the net.
That freak goal gave the Owls renewed confidence and Sodje again tested Lonergan's reactions with a piledriver from 25-yards which the PNE keeper scambled across goal to parry wide.
North End could have retaken the lead on 66 minutes but for a fantastic save from Lee Grant. It came after Simon Whaley had delivered an amazing ball across the face of goal, Karl Hawley was unmarked and headed the ball towards goal, Grant somehow got a hand to the ball but he could only push the ball into the air, the ball landed on the bar and somehow the Owls scrambled the ball away. Lewis Neal picked up the clearance and squared the ball to Darren Carter and it took a brave challenge from Mark Beevers to block Carter's strike on goal.
Wednesday made a third and final change in the 73rd minute when Marcus Tudgay replaced Yoann Folly.
Lonergan was forced into a diving save once again and again it was Sodje who was the danger man. This time he got his head onto an up-and-under in the box and glanced a header across the face of goal, it looked harmless but was clearly heading towards goal and the PNE keeper was forced into a scrambling save to deny the Wednesday man.
Etienne Esajas had the Wednesday crowd off their seats in the 77th minute when he picked up the ball 30 yards out on the left and let fly, it went straight at goal but flew just inches over the bar.
Alan Irvine made a double substitution in the 80th minute sending on both Andy Carroll and Neil Mellor for Gallagher and Hawley and the two subs combined to present a guilt-edged opportunity to put Preston back in front. Mellor chased a ball down the right channel and into the box and squared a ball across the face of goal where Carroll arrived late for what looked like the simplest of tap-ins. But somehow the Newcastle loanee contrived to scramble the ball inches wide.
Football can be a cruel game and Alan Irvine's side were forced to pay for that glaring opportunity missed when the Owls were awarded a penalty seconds later. A looping ball was played towards the far post by Esajas and Marcus Tudgay headed towards goal, Matt Hill was in close attendance and the ball appeared to strike his arm, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Former Blackburn man Francis Jeffers was left with the job of taking the spot-kick and he made no mistake in planting it past Lonergan, to the keeper's right.
North End made their third and final change with three minutes left on the clock when Brett Ormerod was sent on to replace Lewis Neal as North End went for broke.
There was just time for one last chance in the third and final minute of added time when a desperate attack from North End saw the ball fall to Simon Whaley on the edge of the box, he cut inside his marker and curled an effort that beat the keeper but also just cleared the woodwork.
