Preston North End got back to winning ways after a whirlwind first half performance at Deepdale.

The Lilywhites showed no mercy to a sorry looking Plymouth Argyle outfit powering their way to a swift two goal advantage thanks to goals from Richard Chaplow and Ross Wallace. It was just the tonic North End needed in what was their last home game before Christmas.

Chaplow grabbed the opening goal of the game on ten minutes after a well worked corner routine involving Ross Wallace. The Scotsman found Chaplow on the edge of the box and the midfielder volleyed home through a crowd of players at the second attempt.

Wallace turned goalscorer midway through the first half when he surged onto a Chris Brown flick-on before slotting the ball past a helpless Larrieu.

Alan Irvine's side had chances to increase their advantage in a dominant first half display but were made to work hard for their victory in the second half when the lowly Pilgrims put up a spirited display, but North End's defence held firm.

The Preston North End boss made three changes to the side which had drawn with Derby in midweek, Eddie Nolan coming in for the injured Billy Jones whilst Parry and Brown were added to the eleven at the expense of Sedgwick and Mellor.

The first clear-cut opportunity of the aftenoon came in the fourth minute of the afternoon. A long throw from the right was sent deep in the Plymouth box, the ball was headed ot, but only to the edge of the box where Ross Wallace was waiting to blast a shot on the volley towards goal.

North End were ahead in the 10th minute of the match. A well worked corner from Ross Wallace on the left, played into the path of Richard Chaplow on the edge of the box. Chaplow sliced his first effort into the box but the ball came straight back to him and he volleyed the ball home through a crowd of players from the edge of the box.

Preston should have been 2-0 up in the 24th minute of the match. A fantastic cross from the left from Ross Wallace, it was a real looping effort, Jon Parkin got a toe to the ball and nudged it over the top of the keeper, the ball bounced off the crossbar and straight back into the path of Parkin. The keeper was down on his backside after trying to save the intial attempt but somehow Parkin's header landed in Larrieu's arms on the goal line.

The Lilywhites were on the score sheet again two minutes later. Wallace cutting in from the left flank and given free reign to run at goal on the angle. The diminutive Scotsman was given a glimpse at goal, took a swipe and the ball took a merest of deflections before finding the back of the net.

North End had the ball in the back of the net again in the 38th minute. Ross Wallace's corner was met by the head of Neill Collins who nodded it into the path of Chris Brown who stabbed it home from thee yards out. But the linesman's flag was raised well in advance of the ball finding the back of the net.

Plymouth started the second half in a little more positive fashion and Alan Judge capitalised on a moment of hesitancy in the North End rearguard to pick the ball up and drive at goal. The angle was tight but Judge was forced into a shot at goal and he found the side netting.

The Pilgrims had another good chance three minutes later when Jamie Mackie picked the ball up on the half-way line and drove towards goal. He had three or four Preston shirts around him but still managed to worm his way into the area. Lonergan was out quick to close down the angle and Mackie's shot clipped the keeper before finding the side netting.

Plymouth had Darcy Blake to thank in the 52nd minute when Paul Parry's inswinging cross from the right beat the outstretched arm of Larrieu and Blake's header cleared the ball off the line.

Andy Lonergan had to be at his brilliant best to keep the two goal advantage on 54 minutes. Duguid dispossessed Nolan on the edge of the box and hit a shot across goal that forced Lonergan into a flying one-handed save, the keeper then did well to keep the ball from crossing the line for a corner.

Again Lonergan was forced into evasive action in the 62 minute, the keeper in the right place at the right time as Rory Fallon, unmarked at the back post, powered an Alan Judge cross towards goal.

PNE countered sharply and maybe should have put the game beyond Plymouth's reach when Wallace was found out on the left flank by a brilliant Chilvers ball, Wallace's cross into the six-yard box was perfect and Brown had plenty of time and space, but his header lacked power and Larrieu saved comfortably.

Paul Parry caused havoc in the Plymouth box when he twisted and turned himself into a dangerous position before squaring the ball into the six-yard box. Mellor was lurking but just couldn't manage to get near enough the ball to strike it home.

At the other end the Pilgrims hit the bar twice within the space of seconds. Gary Sawyer sees a hopeful shot-cum-cross bounce off the top of the crossbar with Lonergan stranded, Chris Clarke was on to the rebound and had the whole of the goal to aim for but he rushed his volley and the ball clipped the crossbar at the other side of the goal.

The visitors looked stronger the more the game went on and again Lonergan was forced into a save in the 83rd minute. This time as Mackie had dropped deep and smashed a shot at goal that looked to be creeping just inside the near post before Lonergan scrambled across to tip the ball wide.

Eddie Nolan had enjoyed a solid game at right-back and he almost capped his display with a goal in the 87th minute. He received the ball on the right flank from a piece of Wallace trickery, cut across the face of the 18-yard box before drilling a low shot with his left foot to the near post - Larrieu forced to turn it around for corner.

Substitute Neil Mellor almost got his name on the score sheet as the game approached injury time. He drove at the defence, took Kari Arneson on before hitting a low daisy cutter across the goal. Larrieu looked to have got a fingertip to the ball to turn it wide but the referee pointed for a goal-kick.

That proved to be the last chance of the game and as the referee blew the final whistle there was a collective sigh of relief from fans, players and management alike as the team registered three points to put themselves within three points of the Play-Off zone.

North End must now look forward to next Saturday's away journey to Nottingham Forest with some relish, a trip which is sure to have some added spice due to Forest's impressive form and of course the presence of a certain Billy Davies.