A goal in the third minute of stoppage time from Louis Moult gave North End a point, after a controversial late penalty, converted by Jarrod Bowen, seemed to have given Hull City the points at the KCOM Stadium.
Moult fired home from ten yards out from Brandon Barker’s ball into the box in front of the vociferous away following, after Bowen had just minutes earlier converted after a harsh decision to penalise Jordan Storey for a foul on Chris Martin.
Manager Alex Neil had four enforced changes in his line-up; Callum Robinson only fit enough for the bench after an overnight illness, whilst Tom’s Barkhuizen and Clarke were both out through injury and Ben Pearson suspended.
This meant Sean Maguire was given his first start since injury, Ben Davies, Ryan Ledson and Brandon Barker the other players drafted into the starting XI from the one that thrashed Wigan Athletic the fortnight previous.
But despite the changes the Lilywhites were fluid in attack, dominating the opening 15 minutes and finding themselves unlucky not to be in front.
The first chance saw a Barker free kick on the right and Alan Browne, made captain for the first time, rose highest at the back post, headed inches wide of the left-hand post with Tigers skipper and goalkeeper David Marshall at full stretch.
On the 12-minute mark Maguire worked his way down the right, caused great problems, before drilling the ball across where it ricocheted off Lukas Nmecha, but wide of the right-hand post from close range.
Next up a Browne flick on from a Daniel Johnson free kick from 45 yards, fell to Davies, but his shot is straight at Marshall from eight yards out.
If North End had the best of the opening stages, the home side had some good opportunities in the first 15 minutes of the half. Firstly, Reece Burke shot from 25 yards against foot of left-hand post, tidied up by Jordan Storey.
Next up, Chris Martin headed against the bar from close range after Daniel Batty’s cross from the right, before in the fourth minute of stoppage time Nigel Adkins’ team should have broken the deadlock when Eric Lichaj fired high over the bar from six yards out from Martin’s lay off when it looked easier to score.
The hosts had another good chance at the start of the second period, Jackson Irvine getting in behind on the left and pulling the ball back for Bowen eight yards out, but an excellent smothering save from Chris Maxwell kept it out.
On the hour mark North End made a change, with Ledson replaced by Robinson, but it was Kamil Grosicki with the next chance, forcing Maxwell into another good stop, diving away to his left to push the 20 yards effort from the Polish international around the post.
The woodwork was living a charmed life for PNE as this time Storey headed against his own post after another Grosicki effort, this time from the right-hand side.
With 11 minutes left another sub for North End, Moult, forced Marshall into a wonderful stop, tipping over his header from Browne’s cross. From the corner, Robinson played in to Storey, who laid the ball out to Hughes, but he couldn’t keep his effort down from 15 yards out.
But with seven minutes to go a controversial moment as Storey was adjudged to have fouled Martin, but the shirt pulling that is given is clearly initiated by Martin, but a penalty was given by Gavin Ward.
Bowen, however, fired the ball high into the net from 12 yards to put his side ahead.
Five minutes of stoppage time was signalled and in the third of them the ball was worked patiently by the Lilywhites, eventually fed in in by Barker into the feet Moult, who turned and fired a bullet under Marshall and into the back of the net and give his side a deserved point.
Hull City line-up: Marshall (c), Lichaj, De Wijs, Burke, Grosicki (Dicko, 90), Irvine, Kane, Batty (Stewart, 90), Bowen, Martin (Campbell, 87), Elphick. Subs not used: Long, Keane, McKenzie, Sheaf.
PNE line-up: Maxwell, Fisher, Hughes, Ledson (Robinson, 59), Storey, Davies, Barker, Johnson, Nmecha (Moult, 71), Browne (c), Maguire (Gallagher, 64). Subs not used: Rudd, Earl, Burke, Huntington.
Attendance: TBC (TBC PNE fans)
Referee: Mr G Ward