Blackburn used their heads to give Paul Simpson a real headache just a week before the new season.

The Deepdale boys were outclassed in virtually every department as three headed goals - all from set pieces - gave Rovers victory in the local derby. And there was further woe as Neil Mellor was forced off through injury - meaning that with Patrick Agyemang also out for three weeks due to a knee injury, North End could be left with just two fit strikers as they head into the first game of the new season in seven days time.

Preston made the worst possible start when Youl Mawene gave away a free kick in a dangerous position and David Bentley's right wing cross was glanced in with the head by an unmarked Andre Ooijer with less than 60 seconds on the clock.

Neil Mellor, fresh from netting against Forest Green in midweek, was presented with an ideal opportunity to level just five minutes later, but he couldn't keep his shot down after Kevin Nicholls floated a dead ball over the last line of defence.

Rovers' fluent passing game kept North End under continual pressure but a rare mistake saw Stephen Warnock give the ball away under little or no pressure, and Nicholls was inches away from making him pay after his shot on the run bounced off the top of the crossbar.

At the other end, Henderson was called into making a good save from Bentley, tipping the ball round the near post from a fierce drive, but there was a moment of greater concern with the season just seven days away when Mellor fell under a challenge from Ooijer and required several minutes of treatment to his lower back. Though he battled on manfully, he was forced from the field with seven minutes of the first half remaining - replaced by returning injury victim Karl Hawley.

With North End's striker quota quickly diminishing, the pressure fell on Brett Ormerod to lead the line, but he couldn't convert from a tight angle having done the hard work in getting round the Blackburn backline.

A moment of minor panic ensued, just a minute before half time. Jason Roberts' attempts to shoot were snuffed out, but the loose ball fell to Warnock who cut back to McCarthy, and his powerful drive looked set to hit the back of the net but Callum Davidson got down well to block the effort.

Five minutes into the second half, PNE were once again caught out by a deep set piece routine. Gamst Pedersen's delivery was inch perfect, and with the Lilywhites' backline having switched off again, Samba powered through unmarked to cannon a header in off the foot of the post.

The second goal appeared to give the Premiership side the cushion they needed to really carve their authority on the game, and McCarthy and Savage nearly combined to fashon a third after a superb exchange of passes left Youl Mawene and Liam Chilvers trailing - the looping effort from former Welsh international Savage not quite accurate enough to catch out Wayne Henderson.

The arial dominance of the visitors continued to wreak havoc amongst North End's defenders, and once again it was a dead ball situation that led to a third goal on 56 minutes - Samba again heading home from point blank range after Gamst Pedersen's perfectly placed corner swung towards the near post.

Bentley curled a 25 yard free kick over the bar after Davidson was harshly adjudged to have fouled the tricky England squad member, and the same man was soon causing trouble again with a long range shot which flashed just beyond Henderson's far post.

Chances for the home side were few and far between, with Hawley not making the best of connections under pressure as he attempted to head Nicholls' cross past Brad Friedel.

The visiting supporters came in great numbers to see the debut of new multi-million pound signing Roque Santa Cruz, and they nearly saw him head yet another effort past Henderson just ten minutes after coming on as he connected well with a cross from fellow sub Brett Emerton.

Yet another headed chance came to pass when Nicholls continued his fine run of deliveries into the box, but the flag went up as strayed with both position and accuracy as he nodded over the bar from an offside position.

Rovers sub Paul Gallagher nearly added a fourth in the dieing minutes after a fine turn and shot, but his left footed strike only found the side netting.

PNE: Henderson, Alexander (sub Jones 74), Chilvers (sub St Ledger 65), Mawene, Davidson (sub Lewis Neal 74), Whaley, Sedgwick, Nicholls, Ormerod, Mellor (sub Hawley 37). Subs not used: Lonergan, Anyinsah.

Blackburn: Friedel, Ooijer (sub Emerton 46), Samba, Nelson, Warnock (sub Olsson 63), Bentley (sub Gallagher 74), Mokoena (sub Savage 46), Dunn (sub Tugay 74), Gamst Pedersen (sub Rigters 75), McCarthy (sub Santa Cruz 63), Roberts (sub Derbyshire 63). Subs not used: Brown, Khizanishvilli.

Attendance: 8,565