Sheffield Wednesday 1 Preston North End 3 - Match report from Hillsborough as substitutes fire PNE to victory

After a dominant first-half performance in which they missed a host of chances, North End fell behind to a Jacob Murphy goal in the 58th minute.

At that point it looked like those wasted opportunities were going to prove so costly and indeed leave their chances of making the top six remote.

North End had others ideas as Sinclair and Stockley made an instant impact to bring the visitors back into the game.

Their pair came on as a double substitution in the 76th minute and within two minutes combined for the equaliser.

Stockley flicked on a high ball to release Sinclair on goal who moved into the box and found the net.

Then Stockley turned from provider to goalscorer in the 88th minute to put Preston in front, turning superbly on the edge of the box to drill home a low finish.

In the sixth minute of stoppage-time, Potts ran on to Stockley's ball to fire home his first goal of the season and wrap up the three points.

The North End side showed two changes from the goalless draw at Huddersfield, Jordan Storey and Sean Maguire returning to the side.

Brad Potts moved to the bench with an injury keeping Josh Harrop out of the squad.

Daniel Johnson and Paul Gallagher were back on the bench after injury.

Storey's first slice of Championship action since early December came in a three-man back line, with him playing on the right hand side next to Patrick Bauer and Ben Davies.

Joe Rafferty and Andrew Hughes operated as wing-backs, with Maguire and Tom Barkhuizen forming a two man forward line.

Both sides came close to scoring in the opening four minutes, Bauer's header from a Rafferty free-kick saved by Owls goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith diving to his left.

Soon after at the other end, Barry Bannan's corner was met by Dominic Iorfa, his header hitting the bar and bouncing back into play where it was cleared.

Chances continued to come Preston's way as they took control of the first half play.

Maguire's flick sent Barkhuizen away down the left channel and into the box, the front man choosing to try and pick his spot at the near post and firing into the side-netting.

Bauer met a Rafferty free-kick at the far post but glanced it wide, while Ryan Ledson saw a powerful shot bravely blocked by a defender in the box after North End had swept down the left side on the counter.

Rafferty featured prominently, taking most of PNE's set pieces and putting in an energetic shift down the right.

Another free-kick from the him was headed wide by Hughes, then a quickly taken Rafferty throw-in released Alan Browne down the right-wing.

The skipper drove over a low hard cross which just evaded the out-stretched boot of Maguire sliding in at the front post and the ball flashed across the box.

All those chances came in the first 16 minutes before PNE's momentum was stalled a little by the unnecessary drinks break.

It poured it down from before kick-off and with the temperature rather cool, there seemed little point.

North End's best chance of the first half came their way in the 32nd minute, Maguire's flick deflecting off a Wednesday boot and rolling into the path of Barkhuizen who sprinted clear.

He got into the box but with just Wildsmith to beat, slid his shot across goal and wide of the far post.

After all that pressure it needed a fine piece of defending from Storey to prevent Wednesday taking the lead.

Bannan dropped a ball over the top of the Preston defence to find Alessio De Cruz free in the box.

As the striker prepared to pull the trigger, Storey slid in and put in a great block before Declan Rudd managed to dive on the loose ball.

Five minutes into the second half Kadeem Harris came in off the left channel and hit a low right-foot shot from the edge of the box which Rudd saved comfortably to his left.

PNE's missed first-half chances came to haunt them when they fell behind in the 58th minute.

Murphy played a pass to Atdhe Nuhiu on the edge of the box and continued his run to take the big striker's flick and slot a low shot past Rudd.

North End made a double substitution in response, Johnson and Potts replacing Pearson and Ledson.

Opportunities didn't come as frequently for PNE in the second half but one did fall Hughes way in the 72nd minute.

Maguire's lay-off found the left wing-back running into the box but his shot was blocked by Owls substitute Moses Odubajo.

Sinclair and Stockley joined the action from the bench in the 76th minute and within a couple of minutes combined to pull North End level.

Rudd's clearance was won in the air by Stockley, his flick on putting Sinclair through on goal.

Sinclair moved into the box, took a couple of touches to compose himself before lifting a shot past the keeper for his third goal in a Preston shirt.

Nuhiu saw a header from a corner find the net only to be denied by an offside flag, PNE taking full advantage of that let-off to go down the other end and take the lead.

Stockley took a pass from Johnson, also on as a sub, to turn sharply on the edge of the box and tuck a fine finish across the keeper into the far bottom corner.

It got better deep into stoppage-time, Potts producing a composed finish from just inside the box from Stockley's pass.

Not since February of an interrupted season had North End won a game, this long overdue and very welcome.

Wednesday: Wildsmith, Iorfa, Palmer, Borner, Murphy (Odubajo 63) Pelpessy, Bannan, Luongo, Harris (Reach 89), Da Cruz (Windass 70), Nuhiu. Subs (not used): Rhodes, Hunt, Hughes, Grant, Shaw, Dawson.

PNE: Rudd, Storey, Bauer, Davies, Rafferty, Pearson (Johnson 63), Ledson (Potts 63), Browne, Hughes (Sinclair 76), Barkhuizen (Gallagher 83), Maguire (Stockley 76). Subs (not used): Fisher, Nugent, Bodin, Ripley.

Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland)