Preston hung on to complete a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest after coasting for 75 minutes and then having a mad final quarter of an hour.
Preston's home form remains impressive and Billy Davies said it was a big three points.
Forest had the first chance after two minutes when a David Johnson cross from the left was headed by Eugen Bopp, but Preston keeper Gavin Ward made a fine save with his hand and leg.
Preston made it 1-0 after 11 minutes when Paul McKenna found Graham Alexander and he passed to Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and his inch perfect right-foot right-wing cross was met by McKenna with a six-yard header into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Ndumbu-Nsungu turned and had a shot just inside the penalty box which was tipped around the post by Paul Gerrard after 13 minutes and Richard Cresswell hit the bar with a header from an Eddie Lewis cross.
Ward saved from Alan Rogers and then form a shot by Johnson. Chris Lucketti made it 2-0 to Preston with a seven-yard header into the top right from a Lewis left-foot left-wing corner.
After the break Dickson Etuhu made it 3-0 when he was left unmarked at the near-post and his six-yard header went into the top right from a Lewis left-foot left-wing corner.
Mathieu Louis-Jean was booked for a foul on Lewis in front of the dugout.
Gareth Taylor came on as sub and was sent of after eight minutes on the pitch when he tangled with Claude Davis. The referee booked Davis for the first foul and dismissed Taylor for kicking out in retaliation. It was the ref's first red card in nine years on the list of referees.
Marlon King pulled back two goals in two minutes; a 20 yard right-foot shot and then another right-footer from 12 yards into the bottom right after Davis had first deflected the ball then headed straight at him.