North End looked a different side to the one which had struggled to create chances at Norwich three nights earlier and much of that was due to the return of Danny Dichio from a hip injury. The big striker bullied the Wolves defence and held the ball up well throughout his time on the pitch to aid Nugent's efforts

There was also an impressive performance from Kelvin Wilson who deputised at right-back in a new look back four, a defensive unit that held firm despite several spells of Wolves pressure.

There was a shot from the Wolves as early as the third minute when Jarrett had hacked down Bothroyd on the edge of the box and the former Blackburn man got up to hit a free-kick over the wall but straight at Carlo Nash.

Jarrett amended for his earlier foul in the seventh minute when he hit a sweeping ball out to the right where Whaley stood his marker up before delivering a delicious cross into the six-yard box that Murray could only finger-tip out, Dichio was lurking but he failed to get anywhere near the ball before Murray got chance to pick up the pieces.

Wolves could and maybe should have been 1-0 up in the 11th minute, Ricketts was clear on the left after being set free by a quick throw-out from the keeper, he fed Davies on the left and the Welsh striker played a square ball into the box where Ricketts arrived late, unmarked but he snatched at his chance and it bobbled wide.

Fourteen minutes in and the Wolves were ahead, Jay Bothroyd was given too much time on the left and he managed to cut inside from the wing, leaving Chilvers in his wake, he cut inside Hill and then hit a shot with his left towards the near post that Nash got a hand too but he failed to stop it crossing the line for a goal.

On 18 minutes North End's wingman Simon Whaley cut in from the right and hit a low daisy cutter that spun wide right of Murray's goal.

North End's equaliser came in the 23rd minute when Whaley delivered a corner in from the right, Dichio and Wilson challenged the keeper for the ball, Murray could only punch it in the air and the ball landed at St. Ledger's feet, he hit a first time volley that sliced straight into the path of Nugent who showed the young defender how to hit a volley, straight into the top corner. There was moment of confusion as the referee blew his whistle straight away and pointed at a heap of players in the six-yard box, but it was only to get the physios on to attend to a few injured men.

Thirty minutes in and North End were looking strong, Nugent found a sight of goal after running at his marker and then cutting in from the left, but his shot from the edge of the box had too little power.

In the 45th minute of the game Danny Dichio got the first yellow card of the game after he cut shot a Wolves surge with a late challenge of Jody Craddock.

An early sight of goal for Nugent brought a deflection for a corner and that almost brought a goal, Kelvin Wilson arriving at the back post unmarked to plant a header towards goal but Murray did well to tip it over the bar.

From that corner Preston were almost in again, this time as the Wolves were trying to clear their lines Ricketts passed it straight into the path of Pugh and he danced into the area before trying to curl one past Murray's far right post.

On 54 minutes Simon Whaley was booked for an innocuous challenge on Lee Naylor. IN the same minute Wolves sent on Clarke and Olofinjana for Ricketts and Davies.

On 60 minutes Mark Clyde went off injured and was replaced by Rob Edwards.

McKenna had a fantastic opportunity on 63 minutes, he picked up a wayward pass and was 10 yards clear of his nearest marker, he probably had a lot more time than he thought and chose to try and find Nugent and Dichio in the middle when he could have taken it towards goal a bit more, his cross was cut out.

On 65 minutes David Nugent probably added a few more zeroes to his value with a brilliant individual goal. He pounced on a mistake in the Wolves back quarters, shimmied inside from the right and hit a low effort with his left foot.

IN the 73rd minute Danny Dichio was replaced by Chris Sedgwick which meant a tactical switch for the Lilywhites, Whaley went up front and alongside Nugent and Sedgwick went on the right.

Whaley got right into the thick of the action and in the 75th minute he was on the end of a Nugent lay-off on the edge of the box and he drilled a shot at goal but it was straight down the throat of Murray.

With just ten minutes on the clock Wolves had a spell of pressure, a shot from Clapham from the edge of the box was plucked out of the air by Nash, and Olofinjana ran with the ball straight at the heart of the box and caused chaos but North End managed to clear their lines despite Wilson suffering from cramp.

Carlo Nash was booked for time wasting in the 85th minute and one minute later Craddock was shown a yellow card for going through the back of Nugent.

IN the 88th minute David Nugent was replaced by Patrick Agyemang.

As the fourth official put up the board for three minutes of added time Olofinjana found time and space to turn on the edge of Preston's box but his shot was easily saved by Nash.

North End could have had a third in the second minute of injury time when Agyemang played a clever ball into the path of Sedgwick, he strolled into the box and played a ball across goal where Whaley arrived late but Murray saved well.

Seconds later Whaley got his rewards with a goal, he picked up the ball midway in to the Wolves half, danced in from the left and hit an unstoppable effort past a dejected Murray to make it 3-1.

That was that for Simpson's first league win as Preston boss.