Town threw away a two-goal half-time lead as Preston left Portman Road with a 3-2 win. Jon Macken put the Blues ahead from the spot, then Alan Lee added a second as there looked to be only one winner. However, the visitors scored three times in 12 minutes via Nugent, Chilvers and Whaley.

Jim Magilton made most of the expected changes after Saturday's 5-1 defeat to West Brom. Darren Currie, Billy Clarke and Simon Walton dropped to the bench, while Richard Naylor was left out of the 16. Back came Jaime Peters on the right of midfield, Matt Richards on the left, Jon Macken up front and Fabian Wilnis at right-back, with Alex Bruce moving into the middle.

Town started the brighter of the two sides and Alan Lee forced a save from Carlo Nash in the fifth minute from Matt Richards's cross from the left.

The Blues went ahead in only the ninth minute. Mark Noble flicked the ball away from Matt Hill inside the penalty area, the defender sent him crashing to the ground and referee Paul Melin immediately pointed to the spot.

The ball was handed to former Preston man Jon Macken, who sent the ball to ex-Manchester City team-mate Carlo Nash's left to score his first goal for the Blues and Town's 3,000 home goal as a professional club.

Jim Magilton's side grew in confidence after the goal and Richards forced a good save from Nash with a shot from the edge of the area. Soon after Lee headed wide from a Noble corner.

Just after the half hour, Fabian Wilnis crossed from the right and Nash flapped at his far post. Richards did well to get on to the loose ball but saw his shot from a tight angle blocked. Almost immediately, Jason De Vos walloped a 35-yard strike only just over the bar.

On 37 the Blues added to their lead. Legwinski made a strong run through the middle before being tackled, the ball falling to Richards wide on the left. The former England U21 international whipped in a cross to the far post where Lee headed past Nash for his fourth goal of the season.

Town should have gone three in front in the 41st minute when Lee flicked the ball to Macken who held the ball up before playing the ball inside to Richards who screwed his shot well wide when he really should have scored. Liam Chilvers was booked for a challenge on Lee as Nash prepared to take the goalkick.

The Blues were applauded off the field at the break having fully deserved their lead. Jim Magilton's men had settled after netting the early penalty and looked more like the side which impressed during September rather than the team which lost so comprehensively on Saturday. Preston had rarely spent any time in possession and Lewis Price was largely a spectator.

The Lilywhites would stretch Price for the first time four minutes into the second period, Paul McKenna finding space inside the area and the Wales keeper making an impressive save down to his right. Bruce half-cleared as far as Chris Sedgwick on the edge of the box but Noble blocked the former Rotherham man's effort.

Alan Lee picked up a yellow card which looked harsh after a clash with Sean St Ledger on 51, then Nash saved from Richards at his near post.

Preston had improved after the break, but their first goal still came against the general run of play and was a complete gift. Wilnis and Price were at cross purposes as the keeper advanced as the defender headed back to him and Nugent slipped between the two to steal the ball and slide it into the net.

The goal seemed to completely knock the stuffing out of the previously comfortable Blues. No one seemed to want to hold on to possession and Town were suddenly on the back foot.

Three minutes after the first goal came the second. Graham Alexander sent a freekick into the Town box from halfway and Liam Chilvers was left unmarked to loop a header over Price and into the net.

Preston continued to have the better of it as Town reeled. Danny Pugh reacted to a De Vos challenge by kicking the Canadian in the 58th minute and the two went briefly toe-to-toe. Referee Melin strangely spoke to only De Vos but awarded the Blues a freekick.

Town's disastrous second half got even worse in the 65th minute when Simon Whaley brought the ball forward down the left from halfway before lashing a low shot into the corner of Price's net. Whaley had been given the freedom of the Town right flank due to Fabian Wilnis having been caught high and late by a Daniele Dichio challenge in the centre circle, referee Melin having signalled for play to continue as the Blues had retained possession, however, the Dutchman was still getting back into position as Whaley struck.

The Blues gradually pulled themselves back into the game and De Vos's header from a Noble header was blocked, a defender also stopped Richards's subsequent effort. Noble received a yellow card for dissent on 73.

Bruce headed Noble's corner over the bar two minutes later, before Jim Magilton made a double substitution. Off went Jon Macken and Matt Richards and on came Billy Clarke and debutant Gary Roberts.

Roberts immediately made an impact, beating a defender down the left and sending in a cross which Nash claimed.

Clarke felt he should have been awarded a freekick on the edge of the area in the 80th minute when he appeared to be pulled back by Chilvers, but referee Melin only gave a corner.

The substitutions had made a difference with Roberts showing pace, guile and confidence down the left and Clarke making his usual clever runs.

Noble shot over as time started to run out and Preston came close to a fourth as Brett Ormerod broke away as Town pushed forward but shot over.

A game Town should not just have won but should have won comfortably. The Blues were by some distance the better of the two sides in the first half, but completely collapsed having gifted the visitors their first goal. Town's collective composure totally deserted them and they only looked any danger after the introduction of promising new loanee Gary Roberts and Billy Clarke.

Town's incompetent defending and fragile confidence turned three points which appeared to have been won into a third successive defeat.

Town: Price, Wilnis, Harding, De Vos, Bruce, Legwinski, Noble, Richards (Roberts 79), Peters, Lee, Macken (Clarke 79). Unused: Supple, Currie, Walton. Att: 19,337.

Photo: Action Images

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