The TV cameras rolled into Deepdale, but didn't get the hoped for goal fest as the third and second placed teams in the Championship cancelled each other out in a goalless draw at Deepdale.

North End's best chance saw Billy Jones' goalbound header flipped over by the head of Roman Bednar, whilst Andy Lonergan needed an injury-time save to deny the Czec striker a winner at the other end.

It was the first time North End had not been on the scoresheet this season, as the Baggies defence prevented North End carving out too many clear cut chances.

The first half was a goalless, cagey affair. Roberto Di Matteo had opted for a loan frontman of Roman Badnar, with former Livingston midfielder Graham Dorrans preferred to Slovenian captain Robert Koren as the spare man in midfield and this meant that the visitors looked regularly to break on North End down the flanks.

The keepers were rarely tested in the opening stages, Nolan shooting over Carson's cross bar and Ross Wallace finding the side netting all inside the opening 15 minutes, however, Carson's former U21 rival Andrew Lonergan was the first of the custodian's required to do any real work.

The North End skipper was needed to deflect Dorrans' left footed effort onto the right hand post after Chris Brunt's right wing cross. This was the only time in the half either of the two stoppers was really extended.

In fact is was Richard Chaplow who probably felt like he had the goalkeeper type bruises, firstly getting in the way of a Brunt piledriver on 20 minutes and later in the half doing the same to Gonzalo Jara's long range effort.

As the half ran on North End started to get some space down the left, Chris Sedgwick and Ross Wallace happening swapped early doors and Sedgwick and then Mellor both won free kicks high up the field on the left. On both occasions Wallace delivered into the box and Mawene and then Brown had headers that were just wide of Carson's left hand post.

In the only minute of injury time yet another left wing free kick was awarded to the Lilywhites, this time for Barnett's foul on Sedgwick. Wallace, called up in the week to George Burley's Scotland squad, delivered to the back post and Billy Jones flicked the ball narrowly past the upright.

Neither side made any changes at the break, but Carson's hands were soon warmed after the interval as North End tested the Baggies keeper with an excellent moved started by Sedgwick on the left. He fed Carter, who in turn found Mellor. The league top scorer drove in and fired from 20 yards, but his low effort was gathered in by the England goalkeeper.

The game was certainly more open following the interval and Roman Bednar felt he had claims for a penalty on 53 minutes when Neill Collins nicked the ball from the feet of the Czech striker after a miss-timed backpass to Lonergan.

The game had begun in squalid conditions, but as the second half went on the sun was out and the football started to flow for both sides. On the hour mark the visitors made the first change of the half, with Chris Brunt hobbling off, to be replaced by Robert Koren, a direct swap on the right side of their five man midfield.

North End were claiming a spot kick of their own shortly after as Mellor showed a wonderful deft touch to completely turn the Baggies backline and under pressure from two defenders he looked like his legs were taken from him, but Tony Bates was having none of it and as with Bednar's earlier claim he just waved play on.

North End's first change saw the arrival of the Beast; 65 minutes on the clock as he replaced Chris Brown. The Beast had had a massive impact on Tuesday night against Reading and was immediately into the action. A corner from Wallace was ducked under by Parkin and Jones headed goalwards, only for Bednar to managed to flick it over with his head.

From the resulting corner North End won a free kick in front of the Town End in a right hand position. Wallace zipped the ball in and Mellor got a flick onto the ball and it whistled agonisingly past the outside of the right hand post, with Carson beaten.

A second change for the Lilywhites on 71 minutes saw Chaplow replaced by Veliche Shumulikoski, that saw the Macedonian go into the screening role in front of the back four, freeing Carter to maraud a little further forward in the remaining period of the game.

The 77th minute saw chances at both ends as Mellor broke for the home side and then Bednar did the same for the visitors, with Lonergan required to palm Koren's effort over the bar and then claim the Slovenian's corner.

Marek Cech was replaced by forward Ruben Reid on 80 minutes, the visitors going 4-4-2 in search of the win in the closing stages.

As the game entered the last five minutes Darren Carter tested Carson with a 20 yard effort and shortly after Mellor drilled a volley narrowly wide of the upright as the Lilywhites looked to continue their record of scoring in every game so far.

Four minutes was added to the 90 and in the second minute the best chance of the match fell to Roman Bedner, rising highest in the box to meet Robert Koren's cross, but Lonergan got down brilliantly to scoop the ball out left-handed to keep the ball out and to keep the parity in the scoreline