Substitute Jon Parkin broke his North End scoring duck in front of the Town End to condemn Doncaster's negative approach to the result it deserved.

By far the least adventurous visitors to Deepdale so far this season were left to rue their 'softly softly' stifling approach, beaten by 'The Beast's' header eight minutes from the end.

Patient North End were the more attractive of the two sides to watch too, and got their reward from a game that didn't live up to the expectations of an expanded home crowd.

That was in spite of both sides being quick off the mark in terms of getting into the faces of their opponents. They were, however, generally slow to create anything of note when it came for chances, save for Neil Sullivan providing an opening for PNE when the Donny keeper flapped wildly at Ross Wallace's seventh minute corner from the right, getting away with his mistake as the ball evaded everyone as it ran out of play.

The flow of the game was interrupted by injuries to two of the opponents named James - O'Connor and Coppinger - before the quarter hour was reached, and the latter was ultimately forced to leave the action early on due to his knock, replaced by Lewis Guy.

North End nearly took advantage of Rovers as they were still settling down from the effects of the early re-shuffle, but Sullivan was alert to the danger and held on as Youl Mawene controlled the ball at chest height before aiming a controlled overhead kick towards the target as Preston pressed from a Wallace corner.

Richard Chaplow was also prevented from netting as the keeper held his dipping 25-yard shot - the result of a nifty turn in the congested midfield - Doncaster in their 5-3-2 formation offering little threat in exchange due to their cautious keep-ball approach.

They were given little chance to do this though, as PNE dominated possession in the opening stages.

They suffered a blow as Billy Jones was forced from the field as part of a bizarre injury double on 25 minutes - Eddie Nolan making his debut as the replacement defender - the other injury departee being referee Graham Laws, who left the field to ironic cries of "You're not fit to referee" as fourth official Andy Newell stripped and made his way onto the solid surface.

That spell of inactivity seemed to serve Doncaster well, responding with a Sam Hird header from O'Connor's well placed cross, but Callum Davidson showed there was still plenty of life in Preston as he immediately replied with a 25 yard whistler, inches wide of the metalwork.

Skipper Paul McKenna went close from similar distance after a lull in prodeedings, and though Preston spent most of the half camped in Doncaster's half, there was little to get the fans on their feet before the interval.

A livelier introduction to the second half offered more promise to the huddled masses, and though the passing wasn't always textbook, the crowd responded vocally to the effort they could see the Lilywhites putting in.

Chris Brown offered the first shot of the half which Sullivan saved on the stretch, and was then denied at point blank range by a John Spicer block after Sean St. Ledger had turned the ball back into a dangerous position from a set piece.

Youl Mawene had to wait until the mid-point of the half before heading another chance over the top from Wallace's cross as the substitute referee's interventions started to frustrate North Enders on and off the field, but the football still held promise against an unambitious visiting outfit.

The growing frustration in the stands as the final quarter of an hour ticked round on the clock was apeased somewhat when 'The Beast' Jon Parkin made his entrance alongside Barry Nicholson as Alan Irvine went to broke with the last of his alloted substitutions, though the South Yorkshireman's first shot at goal was disappointing and didn't pose an immediate threat to the men from his locality. That was merely a ruse.

With eight minutes to play, and Donny beginning to believe that they had stifled their way to a point, a moment of magic ensued from Wallace's inswinging ball from the right, and Parkin didn't need to move far from his starting position in order to meet the perfect pass, heading hard and low into the turf to beat Sullivan before the ball bounced into the roof of the Town End net.

The cult hero's goalscoring deadlock broken at the 16th attempt was a moment to savour for player and adoring supporters alike, with a roar from all parties as he was mobbed during frenzied celebrations showing the relief felt by all.

Donny sub Stuart Elliott was only inches away with a long range effort in the final minute of normal time but Doncaster hadn't given themselves enough time to recover from the setback of falling behind and a continued lack of urgency meant that PNE were able to hold on with relatively few scares along the way.

PNE: Lonergan, Jones (sub Nolan 25), Mawene, St. Ledger, Davidson, Sedgwick (sub Nicholson 76), Chaplow, McKenna (capt), Wallace, Brown (sub Parkin 76), Elliott. Subs not used: C Neal, Hawley.

Booked: Chaplow

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, O'Connor, Coppinger (sub Guy 16), Chambers, Stock (capt), Mills, Woods, Lockwood (sub Elliott 72), Hird, Taylor (sub Price 85), Spicer. Subs not used: Roberts, Heffernan.

Referee: Mr Graham Laws (replaced by Andy Newell on 25 minutes)

Attendance: 13,152