Substitute Stephen Elliott and winger Ross Wallace got the goals which extended the unbeaten run of Alan Irvine's rejuvenated side to five games.

But it needed a freak accident to top scorer Neil Mellor to give Elliott his chance midway through the first half.
Mellor crashed through an advertising board at the side of the pitch early on and after trying to bravely soldier on he eventually limped off.

Elliott took just six minutes to make his mark, turning in a low cross from Wallace on the half hour mark to put North End in front.
And after keeper Andrew Longeran, the midweek hero at Pride Park, had pulled off three top drawer saves to deny dangerman Michael McIndoe a hat-trick, Preston forced home their advantage in the second half.

Wallace doubled the lead when he cut in from the right and hit a shot which clipped two defenders to loop beyond keeper Adriano Basso in the 56th minute.

And from that point on it was all North End as Irvine's men safely banked the points to jump into the play-off places.

Lonergan's first save came after just four minutes, the keeper getting just enough on McIndoe's stinging effort to force it on to the woodwork and away to safety.

At the other end keeper Basso caught a looping header from Mellor just under his crossbar and Chris Sedgwick hammered in a right-foot shot which flashed wide of the left-hand upright.

Mellor was hurt when he crashed through an advertising board at the edge of the pitch. The club's top scorer carried on after treatment, but only until the 24th minute when he had to be replaced by Elliott.

McIndoe, still smarting from Lonergan's early save, let fly again after a free-kick was rolled to him, but the keeper was equal to it once more, this time getting two gloves to the ball to turn it behind.

And when Dele Adebola found himself in front of goal with the ball at his feet he tamely rolled his shot straight at Lonergan.

North End won a free-kick 30-yards from the City goal and when the ball was rolled to Billy Jones the full-back let fly with a rasping drive which cannoned off a defender and forced keeper Basso into an acrobatic save as it looped up towards the top corner.

But Alan Irvine's side dd not have long to wait for their breakthrough. Elliott had only been on the pitch for less than six minutes when he was in exactly the right spot to turn in a low cross from Ross Wallace on the left to give North End the lead.

Lonergan was again called on to deny McIndoe from range, turning the shot away for a corner at full-stretch.

The second half Elliott was only three minutes old when Elliott should have put Preston 2-0 up.

Sedgwick crossed from the right, Basso missed his catch and the striker met it with his head at the far post. But he nodded it down and it bounced along in front of the goal-line before being hoofed clear at the far stick.

But that was all forgotten in the 56th minute when North End grabbed their second.
Wallace cut inside from the right and hit a left-foot shot which appeared to cannon off first Jamie McAllister and then the shoulder of Louis Carey before looping beyond keeper Basso into the net.

Earlier Youl Mawene had returned to the side after a three-match break for the televised home game with Bristol City.

As expected the central defender came back into the starting line-up following the midweek departure of loan signing Wayne Brown.
Brown returned to Hull City after a successful month's stay at Deepdale vowing to fight for his place in the Tigers' Premier League team.

Mawene, who was an unused substitute for the Blackpool, Barnsley and Derby County games after losing his place through illness, returned to partner Sean St Ledger at the heart of the back four.

Three injury worries - Mellor, Chris Brown and Richard Chaplow all passed fitness checks meaning manager Irvine was able to avoid other changes from the side which did so well at Pride Park on Tuesday.
Young centre-half Eddie Nolan came on to the bench as defensive cover.
City boss Gary Johnson also made one change to the side which draw 1-1 at home to Watford in midweek, big striker Adebola coming in for Stern John.

The game, being shown live by Sky TV, looked in doubt an hour before the 5.20pm kick-off with thick fog around Deepdale. But referee Richard Beeby checked the conditions at 4.30pm and decided visibility was adequate.

PNE: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Davidson, Sedgwick, Chaplow, McKenna,
Wallace, Brown, Mellor.

Substitutes: C Neal, Elliott, Parkin, Nicholson, Nolan.

Bristol City: Basso, Wilson, Carey, McCombe, McAllister, Noble, Johnson, Elliott,
McIndoe, Adebola, Maynard.

Substitutes: Fontaine, Sproule, Williams, Trundle, Henderson.

Referee: Richard Beeby (Northants)