PRESTON North End suffered a blow to their Play-Off chances after a disappointing 4-1 defeat at home to Barnsley, the Lilywhites undone by two goals in each half from Mark Robins' South Yorkshire side.

Anderson De Silva opening the scoring after just eight minutes before Danny Welbeck nipped in to equalise on 27 minutes. North End looked to have regained control of the game but fell to a sucker punch just before the break when Michael Hart was unfortunate to turn Stephen Foster's header into his own net.

North End pressed for an equaliser in the second period but former Burnley man Andy Gray put the game beyond Preston's reach when he sprung the offside trap in the 69th minute and another Burnley man, Jay Rodriguez completed PNE's misery when he slotted home in injury time.

Preston boss Darren Ferguson made just the one change from the team which had defeated Ipswich three days earlier, Youl Mawene was rested in place of Neill Collins whilst new signing Keith Treacy had to settle for a place on the bench.

Barnsley included one of their own deadline day signings, Felipe Texeira, in the starting eleven whilst on loan striker Jay Rodriguez warmed the bench.

The first goal of the game came in the eighth minute of the match. Anderson De Silva picked the ball up from 30 yards out and hit a low shot which seemed to catch Andy Lonergan by surprise a little, almost as though he had seen the strike late, the ball seemed to zip past the keeper and into the back of the net.

Barnsley had started the brighter and when St. Ledger lost the ball on the edge of the box in the 15th minute the ball was played out wide to De Silva and his chipped cross to the far post was met by a beefy header from Emil Hallfredsson, the effort found the side netting.

Preston's first decent opportunity of the evening came in the 26th minute of the match. Ross Wallace got his first chance to test his full-back and he managed to get to the byline before delivering a great cross towards the six-yard box, Chris Brown was there to meet the ball with a meaty header and he planted just a yard over the crossbar.

North End's equaliser came in the 27th minute of the match. Darren Moore and Barnsley keeper Luke Steele showing far too much indecision on the edge of the box and Danny Welbeck nipped in and wasted no time in firing the ball beyond the keeper and into the back of the net for his second goal in as many games.

Richard Chaplow looked to have been nursing a niggle throughout the game and he was replaced by Darren Carter on the half hour mark.

Welbeck was at his livewire best in the 33rd minute, taking the ball past three markers before being bundled over in the box. The referee Mr Miller didn't see it as a penalty though and Welback slammed the ground in frustration.

The Lilywhites almost took the lead on 34 minutes. Ross Wallace whipped in a great corner from the left towards the near post and Eddie Nolan glanced a header across goal, Billy Jones was waiting at the back post and he went for the volley but mistimed his attempt and the ball and chance escaped him.

The visiting team went ahead four minutes before the break when Michael Hart was unfortunate to send the ball into his own net after Stephen Foster had sent a header towards goal from a Hallfredsson corner on the left. It was a cruel blow for the Lilywhites as they had done well to get themselves back into the game and were looking the more likely team get the next goal.

Barnsley were fortunate to survive a Neil Mellor effort as the game entered first time injury time. The makeshift wingman hitting a volley from the edge of the box which dipped over the keeper and cannoned off the crossbar, Darren Carter followed up but he could not control the ball in order to turn the ball towards goal. The ball came out to Michael Hart and his cross to the far post was almost met by Chris Brown, headed away for a corner.

Preston started the second half brightly and could have had an equalising goal within two minutes of the restart. A fine flowing move from defence to attack, Darren Carter picked the ball up on the left and hit it across the face of goal, Brown challenged for the ball and it came out towards Neil Mellor at the back post. The ball landed between Mellor and the keeper and it was there to be won, Mellor volleyed it but Luke Steele was out sharply to divert the ball away from goal with a one-handed save.

Andy Lonergan pulled off a fine save in the 49th minute, Hugo Colace given time and space 30 yards out to drill a shot through a crowd of players, Lonergan got down low and parried the ball away to safety.

North End were living dangerously in the 54th minute of the match. Barnsley left-back Dickinson got forward well and delivered a good cross into the path of Andy Gray, the former Burnley man ran onto the ball and powered a header towards goal, the ball had the power but not the accuracy and smashed onto the bottom of the post and away.

Keith Treacy made his North End debut in the 56th minute as Darren Ferguson looked to change things around a little. The Republic of Ireland U21 international coming on to replace Neil Mellor.

Lonergan pulled off another great save in the 60th minute, De Silva springing the North End offside trap and clean through on goal. The Brazilian midfielder pulled the trigger from 12-yards out on the angle but Lonergan was there quickly to block the shot and even got up to palm the rebound away from danger.

Ferguson made his last change of the evening in the 69th minute when he sent Jon Parkin on to replace Ross Wallace. It meant a tactical reshuffle with Treacy shifting across to the left flank and Welbeck moving across to right wing, the position he scored from in the previous game.

Preston went even further behind in the 70th minute, a hopeful header over the North End back-line and Andy Gray had broke the offside trap. Gray surged unchallenged into the box before smashing the ball beyond Lonergan to make it 3-1.

Nathan Doyle had never been afraid to test his luck from distance and perhaps his best effort came in the 84th minute. North End had been working hard to try and work their way back into the game and it was during one of their quieter moments that Doyle picked up the ball 25-yards out and encouraged to shoot drilled one that had the power and the height but was a yard or so to the right of Lonergan's post.

Danny Welbeck showed another glimpse of his talent as the game entered injury time, despite being dragged back by Nathan Doyle he still pulled off a smart turn on the half-way line and played a clever ball into the path of Treacy on the left flank. Treacy squared a dangerous ball into the box and Foster was forced into a clumsy challenge away for a corner.

Jay Rodriguez grabbed a late goal with his first touch of the game as the game entered injury time. On loan from Burnley, he was sent on to eat up more of the time but he was there to tap home Andy Gray's cross in a move which looked suspiciously offside.

The goal proved to be the final act of a disappointing evening for Ferguson's men and he must now lift his troops for the long and difficult trip to Swansea's Liberty Stadium at the weekend.

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