Inside Deepdale, 17,666 watched this local Lancashire derby, but the game was short on entertainment.
Burnley could have taken an early lead in the third minute when a foul by Matt Hill on the right wing led to a Wade Elliott free-kick being met by Kyle Lafferty, but the 19-year-old striker's close-rage header was pushed by the Preston keeper on to his right-hand post.
Franck Songo'o shot well over from 30 yards and Chris McCann was booked for a foul on Brett Ormerod after 23 minutes.
Preston went ahead after 33 minutes when Ormerod assisted with a chest pass to England Under-21 striker David Nugent, who hit a right-foot shot into the bottom corner of the net from close range.
Andy Lonergan made a great save from Steve Jones before Callum Davidson shot wide and Chris Sedgwick forced Danny Coyne into a save.
Michael Duff was booked for a foul on Danny Pugh and Nugent headed it just wide from an Ormerod left-wing cross.
Burnley's best player of the afternoon, Graham Branch, came on for the injured Steven Caldwell and Jon Harley and Songo'o were booked for fouls on each other.
Substitute Branch hit the crossbar with a 20-yard right-foot volley and Preston captain Graham Alexander was also booked for a foul.
Pugh headed off the line from a Branch header and Elliott was booked for a foul on Pugh.
Patrick Agyemang replaced Songo's and scored Preston's second when Nugent squared the ball from the left and the substitute converted his seventh goal of the season with a right-foot shot into the middle of the net.
Pugh and Branch were booked for an altercation and Adam Nowland came on right at the end for Sedgwick.