Back in 2013 North End had gone 35 years since a victory at Bramall Lane, Alex Bruce the last man to score a winning goal for the Lilywhites in the red and white half of the steel city.
However, in September of that year Simon Grayson's men ended their mammoth wait for three points at the Lane, as Stuart Beavon's second half goal fired the team to a fourth straight win and piled the pressure on Sheffield United manager David Weir.
Grayson's side spent much of the afternoon on the back foot, but returned home celebrating their first victory at Bramall Lane Bruce's goal, following the striker's clinical 69th minute finish.
The result, which was greeted with a chorus of boos by the home crowd, leaving United languishing in the League One relegation zone and Weir, a former Scotland international, having a tough time of things.
United, handing full debuts to new signings Marlon King and Ryan Hall, created the better chances of the first half. Jose Baxter forced Declan Rudd to make a flying save at the near post after unleashing an angled drive while the North End goalkeeper was called into action again soon when Tony McMahon went close from a set-piece.
Febian Brandy and former North Ender Matt Hill both tried their luck from long-range as United continued to press, but the latter was responsible for the slip which allowed the visitors to take the lead against the run of play.
Kevin Davies, profited from the left back's stumble, finding Beavon lurking inside the area and he cut inside to beat George Long from close-range.
It was tough luck on United, who had earlier seen a strong appeal for a penalty turned down when Brandy's shot appeared to be handled by Bailey Wright, but North End were delighted to finally end three and a half decades without a win against United on their own patch.
Post-match United boss Weir said: “I'm obviously disappointed to lose the game. There were many positives today, we must have had 20 or 25 shots. We're very disappointed with the result. It just seems like everything is going against us in regards to the nature of the game.
“Anything that seems to happen, it seems to be that we're getting the bad luck. We as a football club should not be losing but there were some good things today.”
North End boss Simon Grayson added: “Before the game I’d said that records were there to be broken. We got the result and the players can be very proud of themselves.
“The team showed what they are capable of and I’m delighted they did. Stats don’t worry me too much and the main thing was that we took three points.
“We will always take a 1-0 away win – we were under pressure but not at full stretch. I thought as a team we were compact and made it difficult for Sheffield United to create clear-cut chances.”
Sheffield United line-up: Long, McMahon, Maguire, Collins, Hill, Hall (Taylor, 72), Cuvelier, Doyle (McGinn, 90), Baxter, Brandy (Westlake, 79), King. Subs not used: Howard, Coady, McGinty, Ironside.
PNE line-up: Rudd, Clarke, Huntington, Wright, Humphrey, Keane, Byrom, Laird, Hume (Holmes, 75), Davies, Beavon (Garner, 84). Subs not used: Stuckmann, Wroe, Buchanan, Welsh, Mousinho.
Referee: Fred Graham (Essex)
Attendance: 16,319 (1,088 PNE fans)