Sheffield Wednesday's disappointing start to the season in the Championship continued at Deepdale with a fifth consecutive League defeat.
Paul Gallagher's first half strike was the only goal of the game and the Owls were thwarted by desperate second half defending and a string of saves from goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.
New boy, Etienne Esajas, struck a superb shot which rebounded off the far post as Wednesday's fortunes were again dictated by chances not taken.
Owls boss, Brian Laws, rung the changes for the trip to Deepdale, making six changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Bristol City two weeks ago.
Etienne Esajas and Akpo Sodje made their full debuts on the left wing and up front respectively with Francis Jeffers starting alongside Sodje, having recovered from a calf strain.
In midfield, Yoann Folly started his first match of the season with Wade Small replacing Jermaine Johnson on the right. Steve Watson as handed the captain's armband and started at centre half with Lee Grant replacing Rob Burch in goal.
Deon Burton and Richard Hinds dropped to the bench and there was no place in the 16-man matchday squad for Marcus Tudgay.
The match started brightly and Esajas worked his way into the box within the first two minutes. Jeffers tried to pick up the pieces but was adjudged to have fouled a Preston defender.
The Lilywhites were soon making chances of their own though, skipper Kevin Nicholls raced onto a fortunate deflection into the box and forced Grant into a good save down low to his left.
In the eighth minute Patrick Agyemang headed over the crossbar from a right wing cross and within a minute Andy Carroll had headed straight at Grant after Small was grounded just outside the box.
Blackburn loanee, Paul Gallagher, fired wide on 14 minutes after popping up at the far post but Wednesday were soon applying pressure on their hosts.
Esajas had swapped flanks with Small and did well to cut in from the right but dwelt on the ball instead of providing for Jeffers, who was ready to pounce on the edge of the six-yard box.
The Dutchman then lobbed a long ball over the top but Sodje could not quite latch on to it.
Gallagher broke the deadlock in the 28th minute in a cruel manner for the Owls. Jeffers had turned Youl Mawene just outside the Preston box and was felled by the North End defender. The referee allowed play to go on and the home side were up the other end within seconds.
Although after Agyemang and Carroll were unsuccessful with their efforts from a right wing cross, Gallagher was left free at the far post and could not miss as Grant hopelessly tried to scramble across from the far post.
Jeffers felt aggrieved and made his feelings known to the referee but felt even more hard done by in the 36th minute when he went down under Liam Chilvers' strenuous challenge on the edge of the Preston penalty area. Again, the referee allowed played to continue in favour of the home side.
When the referee eventually penalised Preston in their own third of the pitch on 43 minutes, loud jeers echoed around Deepdale from the travelling Wednesday faithful. The foul on Simek allowed Whelan to curl in a telling free kick which saw a Richard Wood header blocked in the six-yard box.
Whelan then had to get back and make a last-ditch block of his own block after Watson slipped trying to clear from Carroll. And Darren Carter produced a rasping shot from 25 yards which was pushed wide by Grant to keep the score line at 1-0 going into the interval.
The Owls threatened Preston soon after the restart. With less then three minutes of the second half on the clock, Jeffers laid off a delicate pass to Whelan, who in turn slotted in Esajas. The Dutchman struck a wicked, bending strike which bounced agonisingly back off the inside of the far post.
Moments later Watson's shot, after Sodje had headed down Whelan's free kick, was held easily by North End keeper Andy Lonergan.
At the other end, Grant pulled off a superb one-handed save from Carroll's header on 52 minutes but Wednesday looked set to draw level when Small raced free in the centre and switched the ball forward to Whelan. But the Irish midfielder's low shot was well saved by Lonergan.
With the hour-mark approaching Jeffers then beat the offside trap and charged at goal. Again Lonergan came to the Lilywhites rescue and just managed to adjust for Esajas's follow up. But Jeffers was troubled by his efforts and was replaced by Deon Burton.
Preston were looking less comfortable at the back as the second half wore on and fouls just outside the area on Small and Whelan had seen Esajas fire two free kicks into defensive walls.
On 77 minutes Burton skilfully worked his way into the Preston penalty box but was thwarted by a block as he tried to get his shot away.
The Lancashire side certainly had their backs to the walls as Wednesday tirelessly tried to break their hosts down but some desperate defending from Preston secured a first win of the season for Paul Simpson's men as the Owls early season misery in the League continued.
Carroll headed just wide at the far post as five minutes of additional time were announced but Wednesday did not do enough to force an equaliser and now go into their home match against Burnley on Tuesday evening looking for a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes.
SWFC: Grant; Simek, Wood, Watson (c), Spurr; Small (Johnson 70), Whelan, Folly, Esajas (Hinds 90); Sodje, Jeffers (Burton 60).
Subs not used: Burch, Lunt.
Booked: Watson - foul 12, Johnson - foul 72
Preston: Lonergan; Chilvers, Davidson, Mawene, Sedgewick (Pugh 83), Gallagher (Whaley 55), Carter, Jones, Nicholls (c), Agyemang, Carroll.
Subs not used: Neal, Ormerod, Mellor.
Bookings: Mawene, foul 67
Referee: E Ilderton
Attendance: 13,062
