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But the goal, in stoppage time, could not gloss over another poor performance by Alan Irvine's side who slipped out of the play-off places for the first time in two months.

Parkin struck after many fans had already left the stadium in dismay, following up to score from the rebound after Chris Sedgwick's shot had been blocked on the line by Owls' skipper Richard Wood.

Earlier the frontman, who has now scored five in his last seven games, saw a header crash back off the crossbar.

But those two efforts apart there was very little for North End supporters to cheer as Irvine's team looked short on ideas and even shorter on confidence.

To their credit they never gave up after seeing the visitors take the lead after 30 minutes with a goal from Francis Jeffers.

They survived a torrid opening to the second half in which Wednesday also hit the woodwork. And their resilience paid off 90 seconds into time added on for injuries when Parkin popped up with the all-important equaliser.

North End, bidding to recover from two damaging defeats in the past week, were unusually off colour under the floodlights at Deepdale.

They started well enough and looked in control for the first quarter of an hour. But once Wednesday found their feet they created the best of the chances.

Surprise starter Sedgwick was straight into the thick of the action, dancing past his full-back and then a covering defender to send in a cross which was only half-cleared.

The ball came back to him and this time his chip into the middle was cheekily back-heeled across the face of goal by Ross Wallace, but there were no white shirts in the danger zone.

That was as close as either team came in the opening quarter of an hour with North End having most of the ball but not creating much to threaten Lee Grant in the Wednesday goal.

Returning skipper Paul McKenna let fly from 25 yards, but he pulled his shot wide of the left-hand post. Then Wallace's shot from the edge of the box was comfortably dealt with by the Owls' keeper.

Wednesday began to force Preston back and Andrew Davies twice threw himself in the way of powerful shots to prevent the visitors making a breakthrough.

But on the half hour mark North End fell behind. And, as in their previous two games, poor defending cost them dear.

Sean McAllister battled his way past Eddie Nolan on the right of the box, the young full-back looked to have pulled him back by the arm, but he stayed on his feet and crossed low for Jeffers to turn past Lonergan into the net.

Preston's response was almost immediate with Carter cutting in from the left and firing in a low effort which keeper Grant saved at the foot of the near post.

Wallace saw a cross deflected inches wide of the far post. And when he made room on the right to chip into the middle Carter shinned a shot after Nolan got in his way on the edge of the box.

Four minutes before the interval Lonergan prevented Wednesday taking a two-goal lead when he pulled off a flying one-handed save to keep out a stinging shot from Michael Gray, the keeper giving his defenders a verbal blast for not closing the player down.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time Jermain Johnson made a last gasp clearance in front of goal from Elliott's chip and then Parkin got his head to a left-wing cross, only to see the ball cannon back off the crossbar.

Things did not improve after the interval when dangerman Wallace failed to come out for the second half and was replaced by Barry Nicholson, Carter moving out to the left-hand side.

And North End were on the receiving end of a torrid opening five minutes with Wednesday hitting the woodwork and going close twice more.

Lonergan was at full stretch within three minutes of the restart, palming away a shot from Gray which came through a forest of legs. And moments later Jeffers was desperately close to netting his second, his shot on the turn only just clearing the crossbar.

Then Johnson curled an effort beyond the reach of Lonergan's outstretched hand, only to see it strike the far post.

With the pressure not letting up, both Davies and Jones had to fling their bodies in the way of thunderbolt shots to prevent their keeper being worked even more.

And Davies very nearly turned a right-wing cross into his own net in panic, sticking out a boot to divert the ball inches over tghe bar.

Jeffers' flicked header at a corner very nearly crept in at the near post, Lonergan getting down to block on the line.

When Davies limped off to be replaced by Youl Mawene after 65 minutes it seemed nothing would go North End's way.

But gradually Preston pushed Wednesday back into their own half with Mawene's glancing header tipped over the top by Grant and Nolan just not getting enough on another header which the keeper was able to take easily.

Parkin then had a shot on the turn beaten out by a desperate defender as North End took their turn to make all the running. But even the introduction of top scorer Neil Mellor could not force a breakthrough.

Fans were streaming out of the ground in dismay long before the final whistle as Preston threw everything they had at the visitors' back line without success.

But then, just as it looked all over, North End found an equaliser from somewhere.

Referee Andy Penn had signalled three added minutes and the match was halfway into that when Sedgwick hammered in a shot which Richard Wood blocked on the line, the ball bounced out to Parkin and the big man rattled it into the net for his fifth goal in seven games to steal a point.

Earlier Alan Irvine sprang a major surprise by throwing Chris Sedgwick into the fray as Preston North End went in search of a win to lift the gloom after two away defeats in a week.

The North End boss handed the winger a start against the club he supported as a kid - just a fortnight after an operation to repair a hernia.

Sedgwick had appeared in the 16 at Crystal Palace at the weekend as an unused substitute, but few could have predicted he would be fit enough to line up against Sheffield Wednesday.

He was one of three changes Irvine made from the side at Selhurst Park, the other two totally expected. Skipper Paul McKenna and in-form frontman Jon Parkin were brought straight back in after serving one-match bans for picking up five yellow cards.

Billy Jones, a goalscoring deputy for McKenna in the centre of midfield at the weekend, dropped back to right-back and Eddie Nolan switched across to left-back to replace the injured Callum Davidson.

Barry Nicholson made way for Sedgwick and Chris Brown also dropped to the bench for Parkin.

Simon Whaley, who stepped down to the bench at Palace because of a tight groin, had been expected to return on the right side, but he was laid up with a sickness bug after reporting in ill earlier in the day.

But Youl Mawene, who missed the two away defeats at Forest and Palace, was fit enough to return to the squad as a substitute.

Wednesday boss Brian Laws also made three changes to the side beaten 1-0 at home by Wolves at the weekend. Out went the injured Leon Clarke, centre-half Richard Hinds and midfielder James O'Connor.

In came Francis Jeffers, Mark Beevers and Darren Potter.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Davies, St Ledger, Nolan, Sedgwick, McKenna, Carter, Wallace, Elliott, Parkin.

Substitutes: Neal, Mawene, Brown, Nicholson, Mellor.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Buxton, Beevers, Wood, Spurr, Johnson, Potter, McAllister, Gray, Jeffers, Tudgay.

Substitutes: Hinds, Simek, Sodje, O'Donnell, O'Connor.

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands)