Both teams came into this match after an unbeaten start to the season on day one and are looking for continuation of where they left off at the end of last season. Preston, under Alan Irvine, came back from the brink of relegation to secure their Championship lives whilst Palace forced their way into the end of the season play-offs and both are keen for a better start to the campaign than they suffered last term.

Neil Warnock handed John Oster his Palace league debut for the game and also included Lee Hills for his first start of the season.

Palace took the field in their all new yellow and blue away strip as they lined up for the handshake in front of the Invincibles Stand, opened for the first time for this Championship encounter.

The game started with both sides playing some positive football but it was the home side who created the first real opening. Neil Mellor was put through on goal and the Palace backline had to defend well to deny him a shot and it was a brave interception by Danny Butterfield to break up the move.

Minutes later the right back, in his 200th game,  kept his side level with a goal line clearance from Chris Sedgwick's shot as North End enjoyed a good spell of possession.

The opening half an hour saw Palace with a lot of defending to do and they have done exactly that with chances on goal limited but Mellor and Sedgwick a constant threat. Sedgwick shooting wide in space on the half hour mark and and Simon Whaley shooting over from distance the best of the opportunites to the home side.

The first caution of the match went to Clint Hill for a foul on Richard Chaplow and referee Andy Woolmer showed yellow for unsporting behaviour.

Palace were relieved to see the play turn to the other end of the pitch for a while as Lee Hills was though into the box and his shot was turned away by Andy Lonergan. Five minutes before the break saw  Nick Carle trying to lob the 'keeper but his effort dropped onto the roof of the net.

The end to the half continuted to see chances for Warnock's side and it was an injury time save from Lonergan which denied another Hills shot and sent both sides in to the break on level terms.

Palace looking to build on their good finish to the opening period were defending in the opening minutes of the second half. Richard Chaplow shot from the edge of the box as he met a Barry Nicholson free kick but it was blocked and cleared.  Carle had the visitors first chance of the half but could only shoot wide from distance.

The breakthrough was not long in coming though as North End opened the scoring as Nicholson beat Speroni from close range on 58 minutes. Mellor's shot was saved by Speroni and then Nicholson had a shot blocked by Paddy McCarthy but the 'keeper could not stop the shot as the same player followed up from the clearance and the Lillywhites had the advantage.

Just a minute later Hills once again had a chance turned round the post by Lonergan as Palace saw an immediate chance to reply come and go. Carle then had a free kick deflected wide as the visitors responded well to going behind.

Preston looked lucky to survive penalty claims by the Palace camp on 63 minutes when James Scowcroft appeared to have been pushed in the back by the goalkeeper but the appeals were turned down by Woolmer.

Warnock made a change on 66 minutes as Victor Moses came into the game for Hills just minutes before a further change as Calvin Andrew was also introduced from the bench, this time for Carle.

Scowcroft was denied by Lonergan with a fine tip over the bar as the striker shot from distance and from the resulting corner the ball was played back in and Hill saw a header deflected wide as Palace went into the final 20 minutes of the game with more of a threat about them,

The final change was made from the bench as Paul Ifill came into the game at the expense of Oster.

A downward header from Scowcroft goes straight to Lonergan as he meets a cross from the right as the visitors try for an equaliser. At the other end Mellor had a good chance to extend the lead as he took advantage of space in the box but the striker shot wide.

That deciding goal did come in added time as Chaplow fired low into the corner of the net giving Speroni no chance as he picked up a thrown in from Billy Jones.

That final goal gave the home side their second victory of the season and even though Palace did have the chances in the second half it was North End who took their opportunities and maximum points as they start 08/09 with six points from six.

Teams:

Preston Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St. Ledger, Davidson (Hart 73), Whaley, McKenna, Sedgwick, Chaplow, Mellor, Nicholson.

Subs Not Used: Chris Neal, Hawley, Carter, Wallace.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Butterfield, McCarthy, Lawrence, Hill, Oster (Ifill 83), Soares, Derry, Carle (Andrew 74),Hills (Moses 66), Scowcroft.

Subs Not Used: Fonte, Ertl.

Booked: Hill, Hills.

Attendance:  14,225    Referee : K.A. Woolmer (Northamptonshire).