Preston earned a valuable three points by beating a lacklustre Watford 2-0 at Deepdale.
Jones and Wallace goals seal victory
Preston earned a valuable three points after goals from Billy Jones and Ross Wallace saw-off a lacklustre Watford at Deepdale.
Midfielder Jones was on hand to nod home the loose ball in the 43rd minute following Richard Lee's fine reaction save to earn the home side an undeserved half-time lead.
Visiting goalkeeper Richard Lee was then at fault for North End's second strike as he spilled Wallace's bobbling 25-yard drive in the 68th minute.
Preston's new loan signing Wayne Brown, who arrived on an initial one-month loan deal from Premier League high-fliers Hull on Monday, was thrown straight into the starting line-up as Lilywhites boss Alan Irvine looked to stop the rot which had seen his side win just one of their last seven Championship games.
And it appeared a shrewd acquisition as Brown added a much-needed injection of composure to a Lilywhites defence which had conceded 13 goals in their last seven league encounters.
Hit crossbar
But the visitors dominated the early proceedings and North End were only rescued by the frame of the goal when Jay DeMerit's powerful 18th-minute header came back off the crossbar.
Opportunities were few and far between for the beleaguered home attack and when Jon Parkin's knock down found strike partner Stephen Elliott in the 37th minute, the ball was always destined for the stands.
But just as both sides appeared to have resigned themselves to a goalless half-time scoreline, Preston midfielder Jones broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute.
A searching diagonal ball from Wallace found an unmarked Barry Nicholson at the back post and his header forced goalkeeper Lee to pull off a fantastic reflex save.
But it was not enough to clear the danger as his parry looped up into the air where a grateful Jones was lurking to nod home from six yards.
Second half
The second half began in cagey fashion as both sides looked to stamp their superiority on the developing battle for possession in midfield.
But the ever-industrious Elliott grew in confidence and began to utilise his pace to menace Hornets full-back Lloyd Doyley while on-loan Brown was a model of composure as North End looked a shadow of the team who had been beaten six times in their last seven outings.
Irvine's resurgent side almost doubled their lead in the 67th minute as the diminutive Wallace cut in from the right and drilled a shot from the edge of the box which came back off the foot of the post.
But Wallace was not to be denied his first goal for the Lilywhites and just a minute later he found the net in fortuitous circumstances.
Having found little in the way of attacking options available in front of him, Nicholson unleashed a bobbling 25-yard drive which caught goalkeeper Lee off guard as the ball bounced over the hapless Hornets stopper and into the net.
Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd threw on Jobi McAnuff, Lionel Ainsworth and Lee Williamson in an attempt to salvage something from the game but it was not to be as the Lilywhites defence held firm to claim a valiant clean sheet.
