Preston North End lost to a three goal deficit for the second time in the space of a week but those who watched Darren Ferguson's side at Newcastle will know that the 3-0 scoreline far from reflected events on the field.
Ferguson's side had their fair share of chances against the Championship's runaway leaders and on another day few would have complained had North End taken more from the game.
In the final analysis it was a case of the side which took their chances which won the game. Newcastle were a little fortunate to go ahead after just three minutes when Peter Lovenkrand's cross somehow found it's way into the back of the net. But Jon Parkin had two fantastic opportunities to level just before the break, the best of which came when Coutts' cross was dummied by Sedgwick into the path of the big striker, Parkin could not have connected with the ball much better but with the ball heading for the back of the net from point blank range the ball smashed into the face of Newcastle keeper Steve Harper and away for a corner.
The home side grabbed a second when Kevin Nolan exchanged passes with two Newcastle team-mates before chipping the ball over Andy Lonergan and then in second half injury time the game was wrapped up when substitute Ryan Taylor found the target from a Pancrate cross.
Again North End can take many positives from the performance though and Ferguson may finally be seeing the first signs of North End playing the style of attractive attacking football which the Scottish boss promised when he arrived at Deepdale.
Darren Ferguson made one change to the side that lost 5-3 at Derby in midweek with Youl Mawene coming back into the side in place of Neil Collins. Parkin and Welbeck continued their burgeoning partnership up front, whilst Matt James and Paul Coutts started in the centre of midfield.
Preston got off to the worst possible start though, conceding to a Peter Lovenkrands goal after just three minutes. The striker received the ball on the left from Alan Smith, and hit a cross-shot that dipped just over the scrambling Lonergan into the top right corner to make it 1-0.
It was a hammer blow for North End, who did their best to respond as quickly as possible. Jon Parkin found Danny Welbeck on the outside of the area, but the youngster scuffed his shot in the sixth minute and Harper collected.
There was a strangely subdued atmosphere at St James's Park in the first 15 minutes, perhaps in part due to the early goal. The crowd were woken from their slumber when goalscorer Peter Lovenkrands was to exit the field of play on 15 minutes through injury, being replaced by Leon Best.
This was all the encouragement the Lilywhites needed, and a minute later the in-form Jon Parkin must have thought he'd drawn North End level. A Coutts cross from the left was wonderfully dummied by Sedgwick, allowing the 'Beast' to rifle a left foot shot at goal. Were it either side of Harper it might have been in, but the keeper did well to push it away, albeit with his face.
The Magpies were quick to respond with a chance of their own though, through Leon Best on 20 minutes. Kevin Nolan dispossessed Ross Wallace in midfield and put the substitute through. He then hit a powerful shot from a narrow angle on the right wing, which whistled past an outstretched Andrew Lonergan, but into the stand this time.
Danny Simpson then received the game's first booking in the 25th minute, for a cynical challenge on Danny welbeck, just as North End were looking to counter.
Going forward, both teams were guilty of some below par crossing, Jonas Gutierrez in particular. However, with Parkin winning everything in the air for PNE, when they got one right, he looked like the man most likely to score for Darren Ferguson's men.
The Lilywhites did get it right, in the 32nd minute, when Paul Coutts launched a sweet cross-field ball to Billy Jones, who was in acres of space on the right. Jones then beat Patrick Van Aanholt with ease and fired in a low cross for the army of PNE players that were rushing in.unfortunately, Harper was first to react, and collected at the feet of the 'Beast' to deny North End.
In the 38th minute Newcastle could have, and perhaps should have doubled their lead following two chances. The first fell to Alan Smith on the edge of the box following a clearance. The Magpies captain hit it on the half volley brilliantly, but Lonergan was equal to it, and produced a top-drawer save to condede a corner. Then from the corner Newcastle hit the crossbar. Mike Williamson was the man with the header from a Gutierrez cross, which Lonergan again saved fantastically onto the crossbar.
Jon Parkin, in the last minute of the half has a glorious effort that went just wide. Tom Williams foundt he big man yet again with a ball over the top in what looked to be a carbon copy of his goal at Derby. This time though Parkin took the ball on the volley, and got everything but the direction right, seeing it fly just a yard wide of the left hand post from 12 yards out.
That was the last action of the half, as PNE went in 1-0 down, and with a bit of work to do in the second half.
The home side began the second half as they began the first, testing Lonergan early on. Andy Carroll had the best chance in the 49th minute when he forced the PNE keeper to make a save low to his left from his 20 yard shot.
There wasn't much else to report in terms of action until the 55th minute, when Kevin Nolan put the hosts 2-0 up. He picked the ball up outside the area and played a neat one-two through the PNE defence with Smith, finding himself one on one with Lonergan. The keeper did well to get a hand to the shot, but there was little chance of Nolan missing, and the midfielder grabbed his 12th of the season.
Darren Ferguson clearly felt it was time for a change, and in the 60th minute he brought on winger Keth Treacy for Chris Sedgwick on the right flank. North End were creating a few oppurtunities, and restricting Newcastle to shots from distance, but time was ticking away.
The gaffer nearly had his wish just a minute later when new signing Williams sent a teasing cross right accross the six yard box. It caught the Newcastle defence off guard, and perhaps even Danny Welbeck, who was agonisingly close to getting a toe on it.
North End were now having a great spell, and Paul Coutts was the next man to test the keeper. His 66th minute piledriver from 25 yards took a massive deflection on its way to goal. Fortunately for Newcastle Harper was able to collect it, but it wasn't far from falling to Parkin's feet.
Just as Ross Wallace had a 30 yarder saved by Harper in the 75th minute, Ferguson saw fit to make his second change of the afternoon, with Neil Mellor replacing Danny Welbeck in attack. Meanwhile Chris Hughton brought on Ryan Taylor in place of the dangerous Jonas Gutierrez.
The desire and intent was there for all to see from PNE. Jon Parkin was the best example, when he again latched on to a long ball over the top, and fired a rasping effort from the right on target. Harper was able to save, but with 15 minutes to go, it was clear North End weren't beaten just yet.
Mellor had done ok since he came on, winning a couple of corners down on the left, but it didn't look like the Lilywhites day. Whilst Wallace and Coutts were finding Parkin in the air, his flick-ons didn't seem to be falling right for Preston.
A bit of hope for North End came in the 87th minute, when Parkin, who had put in a great shift, was hacked down on the edge of the box. Wallace, the free kick expert stepped up to take the kick, which was deflected less than a yard wide. The resulting corner yielded an even better chance, as Sean St Ledger rose highest to meet Coutts' cross, only to see his header land agonisingly on the top of the net.
Newcastle then made a 90th minute sub, with Fabrice Pancrate coming on for Danny Guthrie. The sub had an immediate impact, when his cross from the right was met by Ryan Taylor 12 yards out. Taylor's emphatic finish made it 3-0 and sealed the victory for Newcastle.
It was the last meaningful moment of the match, as the referee blew the whistle on a second consecutive away defeat for Preston.
