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And for the second time in four days their defensive frailties on the road cost them valuable points in the play-off race.

Twice in the space of three minutes they fell asleep at the back to allow a Palace team without a goal in more than 400 minutes to turn the game on its head.

Stand-in midfielder Billy Jones had fired Alan Irvine's side in front just before the half hour mark, although the strike came against the run of play.

But within five minutes Palace had taken advantage of slack marking to roar back for a 2-1 victory.

First loan signing Anthony Stokes turned Sean St Ledger inside out onthe right of goal before hammering in a shot off the far post.

And even before the Palace celebrations had died down Neil Danns put them in front, getting in front of Callum Davidson for a left-wing cross to finish from close range.

Manager Alan Irvine, who had blasted his side's defending at Nottingham Forest in midweek, looked furious with his team and strode off to the dressing room at half-time.

North End came out after the break with a bit more purpose and the introduction of Neil Mellor livened things up.

They could have snatched a last gasp equaliser had referee Russell Booth not ignored frantic penalty appeals in stoppage time when a Palace hand appeared to connect with a dangerous free-kick from Ross Wallace in the home six-yard box.

But once again it was not North End's day and they applauded their 555 travelling fans before trooping off looking disconsolate at the final whistle after a run of trips which have yielded just one point in five matches.

Preston found themselves under attack almost from the start with Danns firing straight at Andrew Lonergan from the edge of the box and Shefki Kuqi slicing an effort high into the air for the North End keeper to catch under his crossbar.

When Clint Hill lofted a free-kick into the North End box Kuqi got above everyone to send in a header which appeared to be looping in until Lonergan got up to turn it over the top.

It was 20 minutes before Irvine's side managed to test Julian Speroni, although Barry Nicholson's low right-foot shot as he cut in from the left only forced the keeper on to his knees to gather safely.

Back down the other end two minutes later skipper Shaun Derry was guilty of an awful miss, fly-kicking a volley high over North End bar from barely 12 yards out.

Preston kept their shape and their patience and eventually it paid off. Wallace played a ball in from the left, Nicholson nudged it back into the middle, Elliott back-heeled into the path of Jones and the stand-in midfielder hammered his shot past Seproni to put the visitors in front.

But the shock of taking the lead against ther run of play left North End vulnerable to the counter and Palace hit them with two inside just five minutes to turn things round.

First deputant Stokes left St Ledger on his backside on the right of goal before beating Lonergan with a shot which flew in off the inside of the far post.

And even before the home crowd had sat back down the Londoners forced their noses in front.

Kuqi got the ball on the left of the area and slid it across into the middle where Danns reacted quicker than Davidson to finish off from close range.

Two minutes later Lonergan had to get both fists behind a ferocious drive from John Oster otherwise it would have been 3-1.

And Stokes went close on the stroke of half-time pulling his shot wide of the left-hand post.

Ten minutes into the second half Paul Ifill was not far away with an effort as he cut in from the left-hand side.

Irvine threw on Neil Mellor in place of Chris Brown for his first game since mid-January in the hope he could conjure something up to get North End back level.

And straight away he started to have an impact with Claude Davis having to stretch his long legs to rob him as he threatened to break through on goal.

Wallace, who had been unusually quiet in the first hour of the game, went on a typical run down the left and sent in an inch-perfect cross for Whaley to lay off for Jones, but the first shot was blocked and when he followed it with an overhead kick it went straight to Seproni.

In stoppage time North End threw everyone forward at a free-kick and could have stolen a point, but referee Russell Booth waved away frantic claims for a penalty when a Palace hand appeared to kncok the ball away in the six-yard box.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Jose Fonte, Davis, Hill, Oster, Derry, Ifill, Danns, Kuqi, Stokes.

Substitutes: Ertl, Scowcroft, Scannell, Rui Fonte, Clyne.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Nolan, Davies, St Ledger, Davidson,Nicholson, Jones, Carter, Wallace, Elliott, Brown.

Substitutes: Neal, Sedgwick, Hawley, Whaley, Mellor.

Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)