Preston North End lost their first home league game of the season on a wet and dreary night at Deepdale with Alan Irvine's men left to rue a poor first half display which ultimately cost them the game.

The Lilywhites were two goals down at the break thanks to goals from Simon Church and Jimmy Kebe but they launched an all-out assault in the second half and probably deserved a share of the spoils as Brendan Rodgers' side rode their luck in the penalty area.

Irvine's side had hit the woodwork twice and caused all sorts of mayhem in the Reading box before Jon Parkin slotted a penalty home five minutes before time. The Lilywhites created three or four clear-cut chances after that but their bouncebackability deserted them when they needed it most and Reading held on to claim a rare league win.

The Lilywhites kept an unchanged side for the first time this season, the eleven that did so well to win at Leicester rewarded for their efforts and in the opening ten minutes of the game they looked to be continuing from where they left off at the Walkers Stadium with some fine, freeflowing football

North End's first chance of the match came in the fourth minute of the match. Fantastic interplay between Wallace and Chaplow saw the latter burst into the box onto the ball, Chaplow was tackled but Mellor recovered the ball and clipped the ball across the face of goal. Reading headed the ball clear but only into the path of Sedgwick who took a touch before smashing a volley just over the bar.

Andy Lonergan had to be at his shot-stopping best on eight minutes. McAnuff had scrambled his way into the box and somehow found himself goalside from only eight yards out. Lonergan was quick to close down the space though and McAnuff smashed his shot against the chest of the keeper.

Reading's next opportunity came on 16 minutes when Jimmy Kebe got down the right flank and whipped an unplayable ball across the face of the six yard box. Neither centre half dare touch the ball in fear of turning it into their own net and the Lilywhites were fortunate that McAnuff was not more alert to the chance to turn the ball home.

Brendan Rodgers' team were enjoying the lion's share of the chances as the game approached 20 minutes and Lonergan once again had to be alert. This time as a corner was swung low to the near post, nobody seemed to want to clear the ball and Lonergan used his legs to good effect to ensure the ball did not cross the line.

Preston forced Adam Federici into a save in the 24th minute but Sedgwick's glancing header from a Ross Wallace free-kick on the left was flagged offside, even before the keeper had managed to get his gloves to the ball to divert it over the bar.

Reading grabbed the first goal of the game after 33 minutes. Richard Chaplow caught in possession on the edge of the centre circle and as he was challenged the ball fell fortuitously into the path of Simon Church who had a clear run at goal. Church got to the edge of the box before coolly slotting the ball past Lonergan.

The Royals' second strike of the night came ten minutes later and in similar circumstances. The Lilywhites caught out when a sharp ball was played over the top of the Preston defence, Jimmy Kebe was onto it like a flash and sprinted clear of the defence before slotting the ball underneath Andy Lonergan.

Preston had the ball in the back of the net on 51 minutes but it would not count. A pin-point right footed cross from Eddie Nolan flew over the head of Ingimarsson and Brown was onto it, took the ball down and placed it beyond Federici, but the linesman's flag was raised and North End's celebrations were cut well short.

McAnuff had half a sight at goal on 54 minutes when Darren Carter's sliding challenge fell into the midfielder's path, but McAnuff failed to find enough power and Lonergan saved quite comfortably to deny Reading a third.

Andy Lonergan was putting in a captain's performance in keeping North End within touching distance and he had to show lightening fast reflexes from point-blank range as the ball was smashed across the face of goal and Kebe looked to turn the ball home.

Reading keeper Adam Federici had enjoyed a fairly comfortable night in the main but he suffered a nervous moment on 66 minutes when Ross Wallace's cross floated its way towards the back post and almost into the top corner. Federici was forced into tipping the ball away.

Wallace had obviously got his sight's set and he almost broke the deadlock for Alan Irvine's side. Picking up the ball in centre-field the diminutive Scotsman took one touch before unleashing a blockbuster of an effort that the Reading keeper got the slightest of touches to to turn it onto the crossbar and away for a corner.

Preston were on top as the game entered the final quarter of an hour and Federici pulled off a fine save to deny Mellor. The chance came from a corner, the ball swung towards a scrum of players, the ball went up in the air and Chilvers of all people volleyed one towards goal, there was a cry of handball but before the referee had a chance to make his mind up Mellor pounced on the rebound and smashed a shot at goal, Federici stuck out an arm to deny PNE a lifeline.

The Lilywhites then hit the post twice within the space of three minutes. The first as Neil Mellor came deep to pick the ball up just outside the box, he hit a curling, looping effort that had Federici beaten, but it just clipped the outside of the post and bounced away to safety. Then moments later Wallace again smashed a shot at goal, this one a low effort that had plenty of venom, it looked in all the way before clipping the outside of the post yet again after beating the Royals keeper.

Substitute Jon Parkin was the next man to have a crack at goal. Again the ball was played long into a scrum of players and this time the ball came out to Parkin who had time and space at the back post, he thumped a volley across goal and it flew just wide of the post.

North End's lifeline finally came five minutes from the end. The ball launched into the box, there were two or three cries for handball before Parkin got a briefest glimmer of goal, he was hauled down and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot.

Parkin himself picked himself up of the canvas to take the spot kick and he coolly slotted the ball home to ensure a grandstand finish at Deepdale.

There were chances a plenty in the final exchanges, a Brown header, a Mellor shot from the edge of the box, a Parkin volley that produced a fine save from Federici, it was absolutely frantic stuff from Alan Irvine's men but they just could not get the goal which their second half display deserved.

Four minutes of heart in your mouth added time kept the crowd on the edge of their seats but for once Alan Irvine's comeback boys could not get the ball in the back of the net. The Lilywhites left to rue some first half lapses and even in defeat in front of the smallest crowd of the season they were applauded off the field by the Preston North End fans.