Forest manager Paul Hart thought it was two points dropped after they hit the woodwork twice and had numerous one-on-one chances with the Preston goalkeeper.
Craig Brown, the Preston manager, thought it was perhaps a fortunate draw with the fans tremendous and the team having a lot of luck at times.
Forest opened the scoring after 16 minutes when Tyrone Mears lost possession to David Johnson and he hit a right-foot shot from 15 yards into the right hand corner of the net, for his 22nd goal of the season.
Graham Alexander, the Preston right-back, was booked for a bad foul on Andy Reid on the left hand side after 21 minutes.
Preston equalised in the 29th minute when Paul McKenna played a through ball to Simon Lynch and he hit a 10 yard shot which the keeper could only parry, and when the ball looped up into the air Lee Cartwright was on hand to head it in.
TV replays suggested it might already have been across the line.
Forest had John Thompson booked for a foul on Paul McKenna after 33 minutes and Preston striker George Koumantarakis had a shot which hit the crossbar from a Cartwright cross and Eddie Lewis fired over the bar.
Marlon Harewood hit the post with a right foot shot after 65 minutes and then a minute later Johnson hit the post with a left foot effort from ten yards.
Captain David Prutton was booked for a foul on McKenna after 68 minutes and then in the 74th minute Preston made a double substitution bringing on Pawel Abbot and Iain Anderson for Koumantarakis and Lewis.
In the closing stages Johnson was withdrawn and Craig Westcarr came on.