North End stretched their unbeaten run at Deepdale to four matches but it was in a rather more frustrating manner than anticipated as QPR fought hard to nick a point.

In a game devoid of any real quality, clear cut chances were hard to find as the Londoners' solid game plan and keeper Lee Grant foiled Preston's efforts in a match the home side dominated for large periods.

It could have been majorly different for the Lilywhites had Paul Gallagher not suffered the anguish of a saved penalty in opening half, an incident which rather typified North End's luck on a night where nothing really went their way.

The game started off at a pace it remained for large periods of the match, slow. It took a while for any team to stamp authority with possession often switching hands in the opening exchanges.

North End's first real opportunity came about from an inswinging Davidson free kick. Karl Hawley didn't get enough of his head on the ball to direct it on target yet too much to take it away from St. Ledger at the far stick.

Nicholls saw a 25 yard free kick drift wide and Callum Davidson mistimed a header after making a late dart into QPR's box.

Rowan Vine came closest for the Hoops after jinking inside a couple of PNE defenders and firing a low drive across the six-yard box and past Lonergan's right hand post, whilst Billy Jones also registered an effort at the other end, ghosting in unmarked to direct a header a few feet wide from a Kevin Nicholls right-winged cross.

Undoubtedly the best chance for PNE came about from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark. The decision against St Ledger from Saturday evened itself out as Mikele Leigertwood was penalised for a handball inside the box. The referee didn't spot it but his linesman flagged and the spot-kick was given. However, misfortune struck for Paul Gallagher as his resulting kick was saved by Lee Camp, who guessed correctly diving to his right. It was PNE's third missed penalty of the season - all by different takers.

North End raised their game following the miss but it was only briefly as the match continued to ebb and flow scrappily for the rest of the half between both sides.

Whatever Paul Simpson said to his team during the interval it had the desired effect. The second 45 began in quicker fashion with Chris Sedgwick forging out a couple of opportunities down the right. His deliveries caused problems for Camp, who on one occasion inexplicably dropped the ball, unfortunately not directly to the feet of a PNE forward.

Billy Jones had an effort graze the top of the bar after a corner had picked him out at the far stick before a cute Karl Hawley lob floated inches over. It had stemmed from a typical Kevin Nicholls searching ball as the former Carlisle man brought the pass under control but unluckily chipped a couple of yards over Camp, and more prominently over the bar from the edge of the area.

Simpson brought on Ormerod and Whaley to give the game an extra spark after 63 minutes and they almost linked up to perfection moments later. The number 17 timed a run down the right, whipped the ball across where Whaley, first time, volleyed an effort straight at Camp. Anywhere else other than at the QPR keeper and the deadlock would have been broken.

Ephraim had the visitors' best opportunity with an angled shot Lonergan was equal to moments later on 70 minutes before Leigertwood's marauding run from the back was blocked by Youl Mawene. It was questionably the only action in PNE's own third throughout the whole second half as the Hoops seemed ever-increasingly keen to come away from Deepdale with a point.

Camp yet again foiled PNE as the half wore on. Nicholls' inswinging set-piece from 40 yards was headed powerfully goalwards by Sean St. Ledger but acrobatically it was palmed over by the former Derby stopper. It was becoming a virtuoso performance by the keeper who had made a string of impressive saves throughout the night.

Mellor was thrown on with seven minutes to go as PNE continued their search for the goal they oh so dearly sought but it never came and Paul Simpson's team now move on to another home clash on Saturday against Plymouth Argyle.

PNE: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St. Ledger, Hill, Gallagher (Whaley), Nicholls, Davidson, Sedgwick (Mellor), Agyemang, Hawley (Ormerod). Subs not used: Chris Neal, McKenna

QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Bolder, Ainsworth (Nygaard), Rowlands, Mancienne, Ephraim, Vine, Crainie, Leigertwood, Crainie. Subs not used: Cole, Bignot, Moore, Sahar

Attendance: 11,407

Yellow Cards: QPR: Mancienne, Rowlands, Bolder, Vine, Stewart. PNE: Davidson, Mawene