Preston started the brighter dominating the opening half an hour. Irvine sent out an unchanged side and they took the lead as Mellor chased down what looked ot be a dead ball. The assistant failed to raise his flag as the Barnsley defence thought the ball had gone out. Mellor then squared the ball to Chaplow who was free and slotted home from ten yards out.
Chaplow almost scored his second from outside the box moments later as his shot went fizzing wide. Seconds later, against the run of play, Barnsley broke and Campbell-Rice fired in ashot pats Lonergan to level the scores.
Brablsey then took the upper hand and with Wallace going of injured at half time being replaced by Nicholson, Preston lost their impetus. Lonergan was forced into a fine save pushing the ball onto the post and Barnsley came forward well.
The change in the game came with twenty minutes to go when Simon Davey changed his formation dropping former favourite Macken onto the right to a 4-5-1 formation. Irvine sensed the visitors were happy with the point so brought on Parking and Elliott to go 4-3-3.
Preston were lacking ideas but with a couple of minutes to go st Ledger went on a surging run from the back. The space opened up in front of him and he tried his luck and a looping shot went over the Barnsley keeper and into the back of the net.
Preston are now in the top half of the table and will be looking to push on towards the festove period.