PRESTON NORTH END 1 (Foster OG 67)
BARNSLEY 2 (Leon 33, Macken 55 P)

DIEGO Leon and Jon Macken his the goals to put the Reds within touching distance of safety as they produced another fine away display at Deepdale.

Reds boss Simon Davey unsurprisingly kept faith with the same starting eleven that thumped and embarrassed Watford at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night as he looked to take a giant leap towards Championship safety with three points against his former club.

North End striker Neil Mellor shook off a tight hamstring to make the starting eleven and partnered Karl Hawley in attack although Chris Brown was missing from the Preston side after impressing in recent weeks.

After a bright but error strewn opening by both sides, the Reds were almost caught napping on seven minutes after Darren Carter had bought a cheap free kick from Jon Macken. Carter took the free kick quickly and gave Chris Sedgwick half a chance but his effort was well blocked away.

Seconds later Carter managed to get a shot away from the edge of the area after a scramble in the box but Luke Steele was quickly down to smother the ball.

At the other end Leon smashed a shot against a defender on eleven minutes after Kayode Odejayi had been outmuscled in the area by Youl Mawene.

Leon then made the North End defence look silly on 16 minutes as he easily skipped past Carter before racing into the area but again shot against a defender with Andy Lonergan's goal to aim at.

North End went close to the opener on 22 minutes when Paul McKenna skipped away down the right before drilling the ball across the face of goal and only excellent defending by Lewin Nyatanga prevented Mellor applying finish.

Seconds later they really, really ought to have broken the deadlock when Simon Whaley skipped away from a challenge in the area and shot. His deflected effort fell to Mawene eight yards out but the defender could only pass the ball wide of the target.

Macken picked up a caution on his Deepdale return on 24 minutes after another tangle with Sean St Ledger in the Preston area. Callum Davidson was then a yard or so away from an embarrassing own goal as his sliced a clearance wide of the post under pressure from Macken a minute later.

Steele got lucky on 26 minutes when Mellor headed over at the back post after leaping above Marciano Van Homoet before Carter tried to be far too clever for his own good by taking a free kick quickly on the half hour but blazed wide of an open goal with Steele busy setting his wall.

Leon netted his first goal in English football on 33 minutes to put Barnsley into the lead and what a strike it was. The Spaniard was given an opportunity to shoot after Macken had been fouled 30 yards from goal and he lashed an outstanding free kick past Lonergan and into the top corner.

North End pressed in search of an equaliser and Whaley was a foot away from getting onto the scoresheet on 38 minutes as he leapt to meet Hawley's cross but put his header onto the roof of the net from six yards.

The home side were back on the front foot at the start of the second half with Billy Jones causing problems down the left hand side. The midfielder managed to give Mellor half a chance but the former Liverpool man lobbed the ball over the bar from 18 yards.

Jones then brought an outstanding save from Steele on 49 minutes when he lashed the ball goalward from just inside the area after breaking down the right. The ball bounced out to Carter who hammered it back towards goal only for Rob Kozluk to put his body on the line with a magnificent block.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce gave the Reds a great chance to grab a second goal on 55 minutes when he combined well with Odejayi to split open the Preston defence. Campbell-Ryce's run was halted by Jones crude challenge and Macken made no mistake from the penalty spot and blasted his kick past Lonergan.

Hawley tried to drag North End back into the game on 59 minutes when he saw a shot well blocked away. Lewis Neal was next to try his luck after turning well in the area seconds later but saw his low effort well held by Steele.

It was the Reds who went closest to a third on the hour mark when Nyatanga lost his marker to meet Leon's corner but his glancing header flew wide of the post. Leon then tried to volley a third on 62 minutes after Van Homoet's long throw had dropped on the edge of the area but his shot hit the back of the stand.

After being in total control of their owndestiny, the Reds suddenly made it very tough for themselves on 66 minutes when Stephen Foster got his head to Richard Chaplow's hopeful punt into the area. Foster's header totally bamboozled Steele and ended up right in the top corner.

Preston went close to the leveller just seconds later when Lewis Neal's pull back fell invitingly for Mellor but Foster was in the right place to make a great block. McKenna then brought a save from Steele when he smashed the loose ball back towards the bottom corner.

Barnsley should have been further in front on 69 minutes when Macken managed to send Odejayi in behind the Preston defence. The big striker took his shot early and sent the ball arrowing towards the top corner but for Lonergan's fine save.

Macken was then an inch away from his second of the afternoon on 70 minutes as the North End defence stood and watched as he attacked Leon's great cross but the ball flew just wide with Lonergan stranded.

Istvan Ferenczi blew a great chance to kill the game on 83 minutes when he turned onto Kozluk's cross but wanted too much time to set himself and was crowded out on the edge of the area.

There was still time for Chaplow to give Steele a worrying moment when he lashed the ball over the bar from 18 yards on 88 minutes.

Despite having a decent game, the referee shocked Barnsley by giving an outrageous five minutes added time although it was the Reds who went closest again when Leon skipped his way into the area before smashing the ball into the advertising boards. Sam Togwell then almost sealed the game with a far post header from Michael Coulson's cross but his effort hit the sidenetting.

North End keeper Lonergan brought a save from his opposite number deep, deep in stoppage time when he made a nuisance of himself from Chaplow's corner.

PRESTON NORTH END: Lonergan, Davidson, Mawene, Sedgwick, Hawley, Carter (Chaplow 56), St Ledger, Whaley (L. Neal 56), McKenna (c), Jones, Mellor.
Subs: Hill, Trottman, C. Neal.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Van Homoet, Foster (c), Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce (Togwell 89), Hassell, Leon, Odejayi (Coulson 77), Macken (Ferenczi 76).
Subs: Letheren, Butterfield.